Dulce De Leche Caramel Cookies Food

ALFAJORES: DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES

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.

DULCE DE LECHE (CARAMEL) COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In small bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
• In separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and syrup until smooth.
• Beat in eggs until smooth.
• Gradually beat in flour mixture and mix just until fully incorporated.
• Chill dough for 30 minutes.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
• Bake 7-8 minutes (cookie will be soft and just barely done).
• Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then remove to wire cooling rack.
• Immediately top each cookie with chopped caramels by slightly pushing caramel pieces into the top of each cookie.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to a medium temperature and carefully melt the sugar. Gently tilt the pan as the sugar melts, rather than stirring, as it will adhere to a spoon or spatula.
• When the sugar is melted, add the butter and stir into the sugar. It will bubble, so take care. Next, add the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
• Finally, add the can of condensed milk and stir well until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring as the dulce de leche bubbles and thickens over a medium heat. It will need a further 5-10 mins of cooking. It will turn a darker shade of brown and take on a slight orange-red hue as it darkens. It should be thick enough to leave a clear channel in the pan when a spoon is run through and then add a pinch of salt. It will firm up as it cools. The dulce de leche can be stored in a jar in the fridge and will keep for up to a month. If not storing in a jar ensure it's covered so a skin doesn't form.

HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Classic menthod:
• Stir together 4 cups milk, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (After about an hour, stir more often as milk caramelizes, to avoid burning.) Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• Sweetened condensed milk method:
• Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Pour the contents of 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil. Set plate in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up pie plate. Bake milk in middle of oven 45 minutes. Check water level and add additional, if necessary, then continue to bake 45 minutes more, or until milk is thick and brown. Remove pie plate from water bath and cool, uncovered. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

DULCE DE LECHE (CARAMEL) FILLED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE COOKIES: In a medium size bowl whisk the flour with the salt. In a larger bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• 2. Gently beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour, or until firm.
• 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F - with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a lightly floured 1-1/2 or 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut dough. Place on baking sheets and put in refrigerator for about 15 minutes - this firms the dough and helps cookies keep shape while baking. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes until edges of cookies are light brown. Cool on a cooling rack. Makes 24-36 unfilled cookies.
• 4. FOR THE FILLING: Empty the contents of a can of sweetened condensed milk into an oven-proof dish; sprinkle with some kosher salt and tightly cover it with foil.
• 5. Place the covered dish in a larger roasting or casserole pan and fill it up with water until it reaches three quarters of the way up the covered dish to create a water bath. Bake at 425 degrees F for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, checking every 30 minutes on the water level and adding more as needed. NOTE: Dulce de Leche is ready when it takes on a brown and caramel-like appearance. Remove from the oven and whisk to smoothness. Let cool before filling and/or storing. This filling will keep in the refrigerator at a least a week. Yummy!
• 6. To make sandwich cookies, spread the cooled Dulce de Leche filling on the flat side of a cookie. (Don't spread it thick or it will ooze out when you put on the top). Then top with another cookie - flat side on top of filling. Sprinkle cookies with confectioners' sugar. FOR ANOTHER TREAT: You can make a Butter Cream Frosting for a yellow or caramel cake using the Dulce de Leche filling, by adding powdered sugar, butter and cream.