Alfajores Cookies
Baking and Desserts • Argentinian
Description
You can also assemble the cookies in such a way that the dulce de leche slightly spills over the edges, and dip the edges of the sandwich in shredded coconut. This traditional Argentine cookie has very old origins. It was first baked by nuns in an Argentine monastery in the early 19th century, and originally it was rectangular in shape. In Latin America, the milk caramel (which we call condensed milk) is known as dulce de leche — this is what is used to sandwich the cookies.
Ingredients
- Corn Starch 10 oz
- Wheat Flour 10 oz
- Baking Powder 1 teaspoon
- Salt ¼ teaspoon
- Activated Baking Soda ½ teaspoon
- Butter 8 tablespoons
- Sugar 5 oz
- Egg white 2 pieces
- Brandy 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
- Sweetened Condensed Milk with Coffee 1 can
- Powdered Sugar to taste
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Combine cornstarch, ¾ cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix with a whisk.
Step 2
Beat the softened butter with sugar using a mixer with a paddle attachment: start mixing at medium speed, periodically stopping to scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl; continue beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, brandy, and vanilla, and mix until smooth for about 30 seconds.
Step 3
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until the lumps dissolve.
Step 4
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shaping it into a slightly flattened ball. Leave it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Step 5
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 355°F (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 6
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top. Roll out to a thickness of 0.5 cm using a rolling pin. Using a simple round (or fluted) cookie cutter, cut the dough into 24 circles.
Step 7
Place the cookies on the baking sheet (12 cookies on each) spaced 1.5 cm apart. Bake in batches for 12–14 minutes, until the cookies are pale golden on the bottom (the tops may remain slightly pale).
Step 8
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.
Step 9
Bake and cool the second batch.
Step 10
Take one cookie, place about 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche on the pale side, and cover with a second cookie, pressing lightly to form a sandwich.
Step 11
Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
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