Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 11 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup regular white sugar (not powdered sugar)
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon cognac (or brandy or whiskey)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
A few drops of vanilla extract
Zest of 1/3 lemon
1 cup of Dulce de leche
Unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
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Directions: |
Directions:1. Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl, until very creamy, using a spatula or handheld mixer, or a wooden spoon.
2. Add egg yolks and whole egg and mix well to incorporate.
3. Add cognac, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix well.
4. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch gradually, mixing very well until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. The final dough will be very soft and silky but not sticky.
5. Pat it into a disc, wrap the dough in plastic wrap or freezer sheets, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, like any sweet dough. At this point, it can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for a month, always well wrapped to prevent dryness.
6. Preheat oven to 325°F.
7. On a floured surface, roll dough to ½ cm thick (about ¼ inch).
8. Using a round cookie cutter, cut circles and place them on a buttered cookie tray or use a Silpat. In my experience, they tend to stick when using parchment paper, but then, all papers are different depending on where you live. Thickness and size are totally up to you; I suggest you try different combinations and see which one works best for your taste.
9. Gather the scraps, roll them again and cut more alfajores cookies until you use up all the dough.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until barely starting to color. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
11. Put a tablespoon of dulce de leche (with a spoon or with a piping bag) and fill one round, flat side up. Press lightly with another round, flat side down forming the alfajores.
12. With the back of a small spoon, wipe any dulce de leche that has overflowed. This will leave a path for the coconut to stick.
13. Put unsweetened coconut on a small plate and roll the alfajores so that they're evenly coated. Or leave the sides plain. |
This recipe for Alfajores is from