**Alfajores with Coconut Dulce de Leche: A delightful South American treat**
Hailing from the vibrant streets of South America, alfajores are melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies with a rich history and captivating flavors. These delicate treats consist of two tender and crumbly shortbread cookies sandwiched together with a generous layer of dulce de leche, a luscious caramel-like spread. In this article, we'll take you on a culinary journey to create these delectable alfajores, offering two irresistible variations: the classic alfajores with traditional dulce de leche, and a tropical twist with coconut dulce de leche. Get ready to indulge in the perfect harmony of textures and flavors, as these alfajores promise to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
ALFAJORES: DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES
Recipe for making homemade alfajores or dulce de leche sandwich cookies. These Latin American cookies are made with all purpose flour, cornstarch, butter, baking powder, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, milk, and vanilla. They are filled with caramel and decorated with coconut or icing sugar.
Provided by Layla Pujol
Categories Cookies Dessert Sweets
Time 45m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Sift the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Stir all the ingredients very well and add the lemon zest.
- Use an electric hand mixer to mix the butter with the powdered sugar (previously sifted) until you get a creamy mixture.
- Add the milk and egg yolks, continue mixing until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the flour mixture in batches and mix well in between adding each batch of flour. The final dough should be smooth and not sticky. If it's still sticky you can add an additional handful of flour.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and make two balls of dough. Then gently squash each ball into a thick disk shape. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375F (200 ° C).
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten and extend the dough until you have a thin layer. The maximum thickness of the layer should be about five millimeters (less than ¼ inch).
- Use a round cookie cutter mold to cut as many circles as you can. I used a 2 in (5 cm) round mold. You can make them smaller or larger, just adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Put the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leave at least two centimeters or ¾ inch of space between each cookie to keep them from sticking together.
- Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes or until they are lightly golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool down completely.
- Take a cooled down cookie and place a teaspoon of dulce de leche on its inner surface (the part that was stuck to the baking sheet), spread it well to the edges of the cookie and then gently stick another cookie (baking side on the caramel) on top to form a cookie sandwich.
- Place the grated dry coconut on a flat plate and roll each stuffed cookie in the coconut mix until it sticks to the dulce de leche filling, giving it the characteristic look of the alfajor cookie. You can also dust the cookies with powdered sugar.
- You can keep the alfajores or dulce de leche cookies refrigerated for a week.
ALFAJORES (DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES)
Given to me by a chef who sweet-talked the recipe out of a street vendor in Peru. These alfajores are to die for.
Provided by vegchef
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American South American Peruvian
Time 1h27m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl. Place butter in a separate bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until soft and fluffy. Add white sugar and vanilla and mix well.
- Add flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture in 3 stages; mix until just blended. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log. Refrigerate dough logs until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Slice dough logs into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until just starting to turn golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes more.
- Use a knife to apply a generous amount of dulce de leche on one cookie. Sandwich another cookie on top and place on a serving tray. Repeat with remaining cookies and dulce de leche. Lightly dust finished cookies with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 174.6 calories, Carbohydrate 23.2 g, Cholesterol 22 mg, Fat 8.4 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.8 g, SaturatedFat 4.9 g, Sodium 105.8 mg, Sugar 12 g
ALFAJORES
Popular all over Latin America, dulce de leche confections called alfajores come in many varieties. In this popular version, delicate, crumbly butter cookies are sandwiched with a thick layer of dulce de leche before being rolled in coconut. They are petite yet decadent morsels that go particularly well with strong black coffee to cut their creamy richness. You can make the dulce de leche a week ahead (store it in the refrigerator) and the cookies 5 days ahead (store them in an airtight container at room temperature). Once sandwiched together, the cookies will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 days, but are best eaten within 24 hours of filling.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories cookies and bars, dessert
Time 4h
Yield About 50 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Make the dulce de leche: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully lower condensed milk cans on their sides into the water. Simmer for 3 hours 15 minutes, refilling with hot water as needed to keep cans submerged. Never let the water boil away, or the cans could burst. Using tongs, transfer cans to a rack to let cool completely before opening.
- In a small bowl, combine brandy, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and beat to combine, then add brandy mixture and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from plastic wrap and slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Place on prepared sheet pans, then bake until edges start to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer each pan to a rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine dulce de leche with remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and a large pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture into a plastic zipper bag and cut a corner off. (Or you could scoop it into a pastry bag if you prefer, or just use a spoon.)
- Flip half of the cookies upside down and pipe a thick layer of dulce de leche onto bottoms (or use a spoon to spoon the mixture on). Top with remaining cookies to sandwich the dulce de leche in the middle. Roll sides in coconut. Eat right away, or store in the refrigerator until serving.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 125, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 35 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- For the Alfajores Cookies:
- Use high-quality butter for a richer flavor.
- Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start baking. This will help the ingredients come together more easily and evenly.
- Don't overmix the batter. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape better.
- Bake the cookies until they are just golden brown around the edges. Overbaking will make them dry and crumbly.
- For the Dulce de Leche:
- Use whole milk for a richer, creamier dulce de leche.
- Stir the dulce de leche constantly while it is cooking. This will prevent it from scorching.
- Cook the dulce de leche until it has reached your desired consistency. For a thicker dulce de leche, cook it for longer.
- For the Coconut Filling:
- Use unsweetened coconut for a less sweet filling.
- Toast the coconut before using it. This will give it a richer flavor.
- Add a pinch of salt to the coconut filling. This will help to balance out the sweetness.
- For Assembling the Alfajores:
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cookies in half. This will help to prevent them from crumbling.
- Spread a generous amount of dulce de leche on one half of each cookie.
- Top with the other half of the cookie.
- Roll the alfajores in the coconut filling.
- Chill the alfajores for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will help them to set.
Conclusion:
Alfajores are a delicious and versatile pastry that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With their crispy cookies, creamy dulce de leche, and sweet coconut filling, alfajores are sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering. So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try today!
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