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Friday, 3 May 2013

Alfajores Peruanos (fillings with Dulce de Leche)

My good friend Christy gave me a box of cookies that brought from San Francisco last week. It is an Argentina famous cookie. She said I will like it. Especially the texture of cookies are very soft and delicate. After I tasted it, I told myself I need to make this myself. And I SMS Christy and she said she already knew that I will find a recipe and make it!!! I research on internet and found this recipe I will gonna try. Wish me luck!!!



 

Introduction

While they have origins in Moorish Spain, alfajores are especially popular in South America. They are simple shortbread sandwich cookies with a sweet filling of dulce de leche. Different doughs are used for the cookies depending on the country. Some use normal flour dough, while others add cornstarch or even cassava flour for a more delicate crumb. This recipe uses a mixture of flour and cornstach.



Melt-away alfajores de maizena with dulce de leche
(enough for about 12 alfajores of 2"  in diameter…or many more smaller ones!)
For the alfajores:
110g of cornstarch
45g of flour (a soft flour is best if available, like cake flour)
120g unsalted 82%fat butter
3/4 tsp baking powder (optional)
40g icing sugar (I only put 30g)
pinch of salt

Directions

1. Sift the cornstarch and cake flour together in a medium bowl. In a mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, allowing each batch to become incorporated before adding the next.

3. Form the dough into a disc without handling it too much. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out 24 2-inch rounds (or more for smaller size), and carefully place the rounds on two lightly greased cookie sheets.

5. Bake for 9-10 minutes, but not so long that they begin to brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies to wire racks and cool completely.


6. Spread about 1-2 teaspoons of dulce de leche on the flat half of a cookie and cover it with the flat half of another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies. If desired, sprinkle the finished cookies with powdered sugar.


--------------------DULCE DE LECHE--------------------------------

1x Can of Condensed Milk

------Method 1 (This is what I use)--------------

Condensed Milk:
  1. Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C).
  2. Pour the condensed milk or mixture into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish.
  3. Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate
  4. Cover the pie plate tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Check during baking and add more water to the roasting pan if needed.
  5. Remove dulce de leche from the oven and let cool.
  6. Whisk until smooth
---------------Method 2-------------------------

All you need to do is place the can in a pot that if filled with water it covers it completely and…cover it!(with water I mean). This is important, the cooking will take in between 3 to 4 hours depending on the thickness of the dulce de leche you want, and all you need to be concerned in the meanwhile is that the can is well covered at all times with water. When time is up, make sure is to not touch it once it’s finished cooking until it is completely cool. If you open it still hot it can burst out!

---------------Method 3-------------------------
Recipe from: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1150075
(Makes about 3 cups)

• Whole milk -- 4 cups
• Sugar -- 1 1/4 cups
• Vanilla -- 1 teaspoon
Baking soda -- 1/4 teaspoon

1. Add all the ingredients to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir well to dissolve the sugar completely.

2. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened and caramelized, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate. Will keep for 1-2 weeks.


Pic. #1 Christy bought me the authentic Alfajores from San Francisco
Pic. #2 2" round cookie dough
Pic. #3 After 1 1/4hrs in oven. Not fully brownish yet
Pic. #4 Total of 2 hours baked in oven. Dulce de Leche is ready!





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