Sugar Cookies With Dulce De Leche Cuban 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.

CUBAN SUGAR COOKIES (TORTICAS DE MORON) WITH DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 4 minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the egg and beat 1 more minute to combine. Scrape down bowl as needed.
• Add the rum and vanilla and beat to combine.
• Add the flour and beat on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a round disc. Wrap each one with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick liners.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out a disc to about 3/8-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies with a round 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a baking sheet. Gather up excess dough after cutting the cookies, shape into another disk, and roll out for more cookies. Use your thumb, small teaspoon, or the end of a pestle to make a small indention in the center of each cookie.
• Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill for 10 to 20 minutes to firm up the dough. Repeat rolling and cutting process with second dough disc.
• Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. Top each cookie with a dollop of dulce de leche.
• Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.

ALFAJORES (DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES)

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.

MEXICAN TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, pecans, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually beat into creamed mixture; dough will be soft. Form dough into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter; re-roll dough scraps as needed. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until until edges begin to lightly brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For buttercream, in a large bowl, beat butter, cream and vanilla until creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar alternately with dulce de leche until smooth. Sprinkle cookies with additional confectioners' sugar. Pipe buttercream onto cookies; sprinkle with pecans. Store, covered in refrigerator.

23 TRADITIONAL CUBAN DESSERT RECIPE COLLECTION

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a Cuban dessert in 30 minutes or less!

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.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional sugar. Place on greased baking sheets; flatten with a glass. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended.
• Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and roll the balls in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.