Alfajores
Alfajores are a common treat through much of South America, and the citizens of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile all claim them as their own. It is an easy cookie to make, and you can enlist the help of the younger cooks in the house during the final assembly.
12 Tbs (180 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 Tbs (30 ml) cognac
2+1/2 cups (625 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking powder
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Dulce de leche* (recipe below)
Grated coconut
(Dulce de leche is becoming more widely available in US supermarkets, and can be found in any good Hispanic market.)
1. Cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the remaining ingredients except the dulce de leche and coconut and mix well.
3. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth.
4. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
5. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch (5 mm) and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) rounds.
6. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 300F (150C) oven for 20 minutes.
7. When cool, spread some dulce de leche on the bottom of half the cookies and make a sandwich with the remaining cookies.
8. Squeeze the sandwiches so that some of the dulce de leche is squeezed out the sides, and roll the sides in the grated coconut.
Makes about 12 cookie sandwiches.
Dulce de Leche
[Note: The manufacturers of canned condensed milk warn against boiling the cans due to the danger of explosion. Although thousands of home cooks ignore this advice every day, you should be aware that the danger exists. To reduce the possibility of a mishap if you decide to follow this recipe, be sure that the can is totally immersed at all times, adding more water to the pot as needed.]
1 can (any size) sweetened condensed milk
1. Place the unopened can in a saucepan with enough water to cover the can by at least 2 inches (5 cm).
2. Bring the water to a boil over moderate heat.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours, adding more water as necessary.
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before opening the can.