Alfajores Food

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.

ALFAJORES

Steps:

• First of all cook the condensed milk. I prefer to do it in a pressure cooker; I find it safer. Here is what I do. Fill the pressure cooker with water to cover the condensed milk can inside. Place the cooker on the stove top and when it starts to boil count the time; 30 minutes is enough.
• Let it cool completely.
• It is very dangerous to open the can when it is hot. The hot sweet mixture inside will come out like a jet and it burns very badly.
• For the biscuit:.
• Cream butter with sugar, egg and yolks in an electric mixer using the whisk attachment.
• In another bowl mix flour, honey, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and vanilla. Mix this into the butter mixture.
• Work the dough until smooth.
• Let it rest for 30 minutes.
• On a floured board and using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a half (1/2) cm thickness.
• With a round (5cm) biscuit cutter, cut biscuits and place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes in a medium oven (180°C).
• They should be light brown when done.
• Let it cool on a wire rack.
• When the biscuits are cold, spread some of the "dolce de leche" (about 1 tsp for every two biscuits) and cover with another, making a sandwich.
• Set aside.
• Melt the chocolate by placing it in a bowl over hot water, not boiling water.
• After the chocolate has melted bring it to the right temperature (you should feel it kind of icy when placed on your lips) for coating.
• Drop each biscuit in the melted chocolate, lift with a fork, taking care to take off all the excess.
• Place the covered biscuit on parchment paper and let it dry.
• Enjoy!

ALFAJORES

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.

ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large baking sheets.
• Pour 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan. Add cinnamon stick. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, or until thick and caramel colored. (Some additional water will be needed for bottom pan of double boiler). Remove from heat; remove cinnamon stick.
• Sift cornstarch, flour and baking powder together into medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl on medium speed until creamy. Add yolks; mixing well. Add lemon zest and brandy. With wooden spoon, mix cornstarch mixture into butter mixture to make a soft dough. If it is too soft (should not be runny), add some additional flour. With floured hands, form dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into at least 34, 2-inch circles. Reroll dough as necessary. Place circles on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until set; careful not to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Spread about 2 teaspoons Caramelized Milk to flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. If desired, allow some of the Caramelized Milk filling to squeeze from the sides or spread more around the sides to roll in coconut, nuts or cocoa powder.
• Cookies will keep in the refrigerator for several days or up to 3 months in the freezer.

ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until well combined, about 1 minute. Working in batches, add flour mixture; mix until well combined. Add milk, orange juice, and vanilla; continue mixing until a dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack until completely cool.
• When cookies have cooled completely, spread the bottoms of half of the cookies with dulche de leche, cajeta, or jam; sandwich together with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just before serving, lightly sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

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.

DULCE DE LECHE COOKIE SANDWICHES (ALFAJOR)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse until dough comes together into a ball. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour so that you can shape the soft dough into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle some flour onto your work surface and roll the dough 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter cut out the cookies and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bring the dough scraps together and gently press into a ball. Flour your work surface, re-roll 1/8-inch thick and cut out more rounds.
• Bake the cookies until they are golden and firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• Place the dulce de leche in a small bowl and stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the dulce de leche on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. Place the cookies on a platter, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve.

ALFAJORES DE MAICENA

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven 180°C (360°F). Line a baking tray/ cookie sheet with baking paper.
• Cream butter and sugar in a bowl, using either a stand mixer or handheld electric beaters until fluffy.
• Continue beating and add vanilla essence.
• Add the egg and egg yolk, beat until completely combined.
• Turn beaters down to a low speed and slowly beat in the flours and baking powder. As soon as the mixture comes together stop the beaters. You do not want to over beat the dough.
• Form dough into a smooth round ball, again do not overwork the dough.
• Between two pieces of baking paper, using a rolling pin, roll dough out until is is roughly 5cm (one eighth inch) thick.
• Carefully remove the top layer of baking paper. Then using a 5cm (2 inch) cookie cutter, cut out cookie rounds and place on the lined baking tray.
• Place in the oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. You do not want the cookies to colour. They will spread slightly when cooking.
• Remove tray from the oven and leave cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray before transferring them to a cooling rack.

ALFAJORES WITH COCONUT DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Bring condensed milk, coconut milk, and ½ tsp. salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Scrape mixture into a 13x9" baking dish and bake, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until very thick and a light caramel color, 40-50 minutes. Mixture will look lumpy, broken, and very pasty-that's exactly what you want. Let cool in dish 1 hour, then transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Set dulce de leche aside for serving.
• Meanwhile, whisk almond flour and 2¼ cups all-purpose flour in a medium bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, and 1½ tsp. salt in a large bowl, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and ¼ cup honey and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until incorporated. Divide dough in half and pat each piece into a 1"-thick disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, to about ⅛" thick. Punch out shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart. Pat scraps into a 1"-thick disk, wrap with plastic, and chill 10 minutes if soft.
• Bake a sheet of cookies, rotating halfway through, until edges are lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Bake remaining sheet of cookies. Line baking sheets with fresh sheets of parchment paper and repeat process with remaining disk of dough.
• Divide coconut evenly among 3 bowls. Add 1 Tbsp. food-coloring powder (sift if needed) to a bowl of coconut and toss until coconut is coated; add more powder if a more intense color is desired. Repeat with remaining food-coloring powder and another bowl of coconut. Leave 1 bowl of coconut white. If using, add some luster dust to all 3 bowls and toss to combine.
• Turn half of the cookies over to expose flat side; spread 1 tsp. dulce de leche over (this will be the inside of the sandwiches); set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. honey in a small bowl in the microwave just until warm (you want it to be loose), then stir in 2 tsp. warm water. Working one at a time, lightly brush honey over the top of remaining cookies (the ones that have not been filled with dulce de leche). Immediately dip tops into a bowl of coconut; press additional coconut onto cookie to cover any bald spots. Close up cookie sandwiches, coconut side up.
• Do Ahead: Dulce de leche can be made 1 month ahead; place in an airtight container and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before using. Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled. Cookies can be baked (but not assembled) 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.