Best Alfajores South American Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies Recipes

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ALFAJORES: DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES



Alfajores: Dulce de leche sandwich cookies image

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

1¼ cup all-purpose flour (1¼cups flour = 150 grams)
1¼ cup cornstarch (1¼ cups cornstarch = 160 grams)
½ cup butter (room temperature, ½ cup of butter = 113 grams)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla optional
½ cup powdered or icing sugar (sifted, ½ cup powdered sugar = 60 grams)
¾ cup dulce de leche
½ cup grated dry coconut
Powdered or icing sugar (to taste)

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)



Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies) image

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

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup sifted confectioners' sugar
¼ cup sifted cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (11.5 ounce) jar dulce de leche
¼ cup confectioners' sugar, or as needed for dusting

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 - DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES



Alfajores - Dulce de Leche Cookies image

Pop into any bakery in South American countries, like Argentina and Peru, and you're sure to find sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche, (milk caramel). These cookies, called alfajores, come dipped in chocolate, glazed in sugar, or rolled in coconut. Here, cornstarch is added to the dough to make it soft and crumbly; a perfect foil to the rich and creamy milk caramel filling.

Time 1h15m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup cornstarch
1 cup GOYA® Wheat Flour, or all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup GOYA® Unsalted Butter (1 stick), at room temperature
¼ cup confectioners' sugar,
¼ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. GOYA® Naranja Agria - Bitter Orange
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1 bottle (14 oz.) GOYA® Dulce de Leche - Milke Caramel Squeeze, chilled

Steps:

  • Step 1 In medium bowl, sift together cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Step 2 In medium mixing bowl, using electric mixer or whisk, mix together butter and sugar until thoroughly combined, smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add egg yolks and bitter orange; continue mixing until well incorporated. Add reserved flour mixture, mixing and scraping edges of bowl with spatula, until mixture is smooth, and dough comes together, pulling away from bottom and sides of bowl. Using hands, shape dough into disc. Wrap disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Step 3 Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly-floured work surface, evenly roll dough to ½" thickness. Using 1½" round cookie cutters, cut dough into circles. Gather scraps of dough; reroll to ½" thickness and cut into circles; transfer circles to parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until dough is cold and firm, about 10 minutes. Discard any remaining dough. Bake cookies until just set, 10-12 minutes (there should be no brown spots). Transfer cookies to cooling racks; let sit until cool. Step 4 To assemble cookies, flip one cookie upside down. Using small spoon, spread chilled dulce de leche onto center of cookie; top with second cookie, pressing gently so dulce de leche peaks out sides. Roll edges of cookie in shredded coconut, if desired. Transfer to plate; repeat with remaining cookies, dulce de leche and coconut. Transfer cookies to refrigerator until ducle de leche is set, about 15 minutes.

ALFAJORES (DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH CRèME COOKIES)



Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Crème Cookies) image

Prize-Winning Recipe 2007! Take a delicious taste adventure with a traditional cookie of South America. Two cookies made with a time-saving cookie mix are sandwiched with dulce de leche and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h20m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted, finely chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In large bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/2 cup of the coconut, the pecans, butter and egg until stiff dough forms.
  • On floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
  • Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
  • To make each sandwich cookie, spread about 2 teaspoons dulce de leche on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together so some of filling seeps out around edges. Roll edges in remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Place cookies on cooling rack.
  • Sprinkle tops of sandwich cookies with powdered sugar. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 190, Carbohydrate 28 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Fat 1 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, ServingSize 1 Sandwich Cookie, Sodium 95 mg, Sugar 19 g, TransFat 1 g

ALFAJORES (AN ARGENTINEAN DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIE)



Alfajores (An Argentinean Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookie) image

Found these while playing on the Internet and decided to give them a try soon. For the dulce de leche, you can either make your own (many good recipes on this site) or find it in a local market that has a good selection of Latin American products.

Provided by justcallmetoni

Categories     Drop Cookies

Time 45m

Yield 40 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon rind, grated
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dulce de leche (store bought or homemade)

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 68.3, Fat 2.6, SaturatedFat 1.6, Cholesterol 19.1, Sodium 46.5, Carbohydrate 10.7, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 5, Protein 0.5

Alfajores are a popular dessert in South America, specifically in Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay. They are a type of cookie consisting of two biscuits with a dulce de leche filling. The cookies are soft and crumbly, and the dulce de leche filling adds a sweet and creamy flavor. Alfajores are commonly enjoyed as a snack or dessert with coffee or tea.

History of Alfajores

The origin of alfajores is uncertain, but it is believed that they were introduced to South America by the Moors during the Al-Andalus period in Spain. The word "alfajor" comes from the Arabic word "al-hasú" which means "stuffed." The cookie was later adapted by the Spanish and became a popular dessert in Spain and its colonies. In South America, the cookie became a favorite among the wealthy and was often served at fancy dinner parties. Today, alfajores are enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Types of Alfajores

There are many different types of alfajores, each with its unique flavor and texture. Some of the most popular types include:
Traditional Alfajores
These are the classic alfajores consisting of two biscuits made from cornstarch, flour, butter, and sugar. They are sandwiched with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut or powdered sugar.
Chocolate Alfajores
These cookies are made with cocoa powder and sandwiched with dulce de leche. Some recipes also include chocolate chips or a chocolate coating.
Almond Alfajores
These cookies are made with almond flour and sandwiched with dulce de leche. They are often rolled in chopped almonds for extra crunch.
Cornmeal Alfajores
These cookies are made with cornmeal and sandwiched with dulce de leche. They have a slightly grainy texture and are often rolled in sugar.
Coconut Alfajores
These cookies are made with shredded coconut and sandwiched with dulce de leche. They are often rolled in coconut flakes for extra flavor.

How to Make Alfajores

While there are many different variations of alfajores, the basic recipe consists of two biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche. Here are the basic steps to make alfajores:
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dulce de leche, for sandwiching
  • Shredded coconut or powdered sugar, for rolling (optional)
Instructions:
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and baking powder.
  2. In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
  5. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  7. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.
  8. Cut out 2 inch circles of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  9. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just lightly golden on the edges. Allow them to cool completely.
  10. Sandwich the cookies with dulce de leche and roll them in shredded coconut or powdered sugar, if desired.

Conclusion

Alfajores are a delicious and popular dessert in South America. They are a type of cookie consisting of two biscuits with a dulce de leche filling. There are many different variations of alfajores, each with its unique flavor and texture. Whether you prefer traditional alfajores or one of the many other variations, this simple and tasty dessert is sure to delight your taste buds.
Alfajores are a delicious South American sandwich cookie that can be filled with a variety of flavors, usually dulce de leche. This recipe has been around for centuries and has been enjoyed by folks of all ages.

Tips for Making the Perfect Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies:

1. Choose the Right Flour
When making alfajores, it is crucial to use the right type of flour. The ideal flour to use is the pastry flour because it has a lower protein content and will provide a tender crumb texture to the cookies. Moreover, using all-purpose flour or any other high-protein flour may result in tougher cookies.
2. Use Room Temperature Butter
Having the butter at room temperature is important when making the cookie dough. This makes the butter easy to cream and mix with the other ingredients. Therefore, it would be best if you had the butter outside the fridge for about 30 minutes before use.
3. Chill the Dough before Cutting
There is a need to chill the dough before cutting into circles because it makes the dough easier to handle, preventing it from sticking too much to the rolling pin or surface. Chilling also helps the cookies keep their shape while they are baking.
4. Use Sweetened Condensed Milk for Making Dulce de Leche
Dulce de leche is the signature filling for alfajores. To make it, sweetened condensed milk is heated on a stovetop until it turns into a caramel consistency. This sweet and caramel-flavored filling is perfect for sandwiching between the cookies.
5. Be Patient to Achieve the Perfect Dulce de Leche
Making dulce de leche requires patience, as it can take several hours to prepare. It needs to be stirred continuously until it reaches the desired consistency. The result should be a smooth and dense caramel flavor, perfect for the alfajores.
6. Opt for Quality Ingredients
For a better result, go for quality ingredients. Use ingredients that are fresh and of the highest quality. For example, use pure vanilla extract and high-grade chocolate.
7. Use a Kitchen Scale
A kitchen scale is essential when making alfajores so that the ingredients can be measured accurately. This is important for measuring the flour, butter, and other ingredients for the cookie dough.
8. Don’t Overfill the Cookies
It is important to avoid overfilling the cookies. Too much filling can cause the cookies to break or become lopsided. The right amount of dulce de leche should be enough to fill the cookie without spilling out over the edge.
9. Store Alfajores Properly
Alfajores can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for about a week. They can be stored in the fridge for longer without losing their taste, but it's not necessary.
10. Customize Your Alfajores
Alfajores are versatile cookies that can be changed up in several ways. Try adding cocoa powder or cinnamon, or topping the cookies with some melted chocolate or powdered sugar. You can also substitute the filling with other flavors like raspberry or caramel.

Conclusion:

These tips will help you make the best alfajores sandwiches. Pay attention to the ingredients, and be patient with your dulce de leche. With the right technique and quality ingredients, you can make a delicious batch of alfajores that are sure to delight your taste buds.

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