Alfajores Argentinean Style Food

ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, corn flour and baking powder together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Using a food mixer or an electric whisk in another bowl beat the butter together with the sugar and lemon zest until very pale. Add the egg yolks followed by the Cognac and vanilla extract. Beat in the dry ingredients until you have smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. You can make the biscuit dough the day before and leave in the fridge.
• Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin then cut out 60 biscuits with a 5cm round or fluted cutter. Put the biscuits back in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the biscuits for 8 mins until just set. You want the biscuits to stay pale with a crumbly texture. Leave to cool completely before sandwiching two biscuits together with a spoonful of dulce de leche. Once all the biscuits are sandwiched together roll in desiccated coconut.

ALFAJORES ARGENTINEAN STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, allowing each yolk to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla rum, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest with the last egg. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a spoon, making a crumbly dough. When the dough becomes cohesive enough, press it together into a ball with your hands. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough, using as little flour as possible, about 1/4 inch thick. The dough will have an unusual consistency. Cut with a small round cookie cutter. Continue pressing the dough together, rolling it out, and cutting until you have used it all. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set but not browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies immediately to cool on a wire rack.
• Spread the underside of a cooled cookie with a teaspoon of dulce de leche, then sandwich together with another cookie until the caramel oozes out the sides. Roll the sides in the shredded coconut.

CLASSIC ARGENTINE ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Sift everything into a bowl, set aside.
• In another bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter until creamy using a handheld whisk. Add in egg yolk one by one, mixing well to combine after each addition. Add in vanilla extract, lemon zest and mix to combine.
• Add in dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing just enough after each addition. Don't over mix. For the 3rd addition, you will not be able to mix everything to combine using hand held mixer. When it's half mixed, pour everything onto the working surface.
• Start folding the mixture onto itself and gently push with your palm until you get a ball. Do not knead. Refer to tutorial video above for better understanding.
• Wrap with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until manageable.
• Put 1/3 of dough on a cling film and cover it with another. Gently roll it into 8-10mm thickness. If the dough breaks, just gently push it back together. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes while you continue rolling the rest.
• Take 1 rolled dough from the fridge and place it on the working surface. Remove the top cling film. Cut out 1.7 inch (4.5 cm) circles using floured cutter/glass. Place on parchment paper on baking tray. Place in the fridge if you're not baking them immediately.
• Bake at 360F (180ºC) in a preheated oven, conventional mode, on middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until fully cooked without having any toasted colour. Cool completely before using.
• Pipe dulce de leche on the bottom side of a cookie, more or less the same thickness of the cookie itself. Take another cookie and place it on top and lightly press. Roll in desiccated coconut. Enjoy!
• Place in air tight container, at room temperature. Best consumed the next day. Last good for 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the fridge.

ARGENTINIAN ALFAJORES COOKIES FILLED WITH DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add yolks and beat to combine.
• Add the vanilla extract, water and lemon zest beat until just combined.
• Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from plastic wrap and place on a lightly floured surface, flour a rolling pin and roll out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with a 2 inch cookie cutter.
• Place cookies on prepared sheet pans about about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for about 9 minutes or until firm and edges are pale golden and the middle of the cookie is firm.
• Transfer baking pan to a rack and allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche onto the back of half the cookies. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich and repeat.
• Roll sides in coconut and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

ARGENTINIAN ALFAJORES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and reserve.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is pale. Beat the butter until homogeneous.
• Add half of the cornstarch, then the baking powder, and the other half of the cornstarch, mixing with a spatula after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
• Using your hands, knead the dough on a surface lined with parchment paper just until it is no longer sticky. I prefer to not flour the surface because it will absorb the flour, making the dough dry. If the dough becomes dry either way, stir in about 1 or 2 tbsp of milk.
• Roll out the dough in a thin layer (about 1/8-inch thick) and cut out discs using a cookie cutter (about 2 ¼-inch diameter). Re-roll the leftover dough and repeat the process.
• Using a metal spatula, gently transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, keeping them about 1-inch apart.
• Bake for about 8 minutes or until set and lightly brown on the bottom edges. Let them cool before filling with the dulce de leche.
• To fill them, either pipe the dulce de leche over half of the cookies or spread it on with the back of a teaspoon. The first option will be less messy and will avoid breakage. Then use the remaining half of the cookies to top the filling (sandwich), applying gentle pressure on the center using your full, flat hand instead of pressing down on the edges.
• If you prefer (optional), roll the sandwich cookies in shredded coconut to make the coconut stick on and cover the dulce de leche around the rims. Sift confectioner's sugar on top of the Argentinian alfajores and enjoy!

ALFAJORES (AN ARGENTINEAN DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIE)

Steps:

• Cream butter for a minute, add sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Add egg and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla and lemon rind.
• In a separate bowl, sift together cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixture and mix well.
• Drop batter by small spoonfuls onto well buttered baking sheet. Try to keep your cookie size uniform as it will make building sandwiches easier.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove immediately.
• Sandwich the cookies together with (dulce de leche) sweet milk dessert.

ARGENTINIAN ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Cream butter; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla and lemon rind.
• Sift together cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixture and mix well.
• Drop batter by small spoonfuls onto well buttered baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove immediately. Sandwich the cookies together with dulce de leche. See my recipe.