Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies (Alfajores)
Makes about 40 cookies
Next to its cash register, every self-respecting Argentinean or Peruvian bakery has a plate of these light, flaky, butter cookies, filled with dark, caramel-y dulce de leche. You’d be silly to pay without snagging one.
But if a trip to South America isn’t in your future (or even if it is), you can easily make your own alfajores. This recipe is fairly straightforward and easily allows for substitutions. Don’t have brandy? Use rum. Want bigger cookies? Use a 3-inch, circular cutter. Feel free to play around with brands of dulce de leche. The sweet is widely available in Latin markets and upscale grocery stores. My favorite brand is La Salamandra, a darker, savory caramel.
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ¾ cup dulce de leche
Powdered sugar
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until light and fluffy, about one minute. Wipe down edges of bowl and continue beating, while adding egg yolks, egg, brandy, and vanilla. Mix until well combined, about one minute.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Whisk until light and fluffy. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat until combined. Repeat with remaining flour. When done, wipe down sides of the bowl, and beat dough for 30 seconds. Your dough will be soft and pliable. Divide it in half, pat into a disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place racks in the middle of oven. On a lightly floured surface, working with one disk at a time, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a circle, an 1/8 inch thick. With a floured 1 ½ to 2 inch, round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place cookies ½ inch apart on buttered cookie sheet. Gather remaining dough, pat into disk, chill (if necessary), and repeat.
Bake cookies until lightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. If baking more than one sheet of cookies at a time, switch baking sheet half way through.
Set cookies to cool. Allow them to rest 5 minutes on the baking sheet, before moving them to cooling racks. When cookies are completely cool, about 30 minutes, begin making sandwiches.
Flip half the cookies so that the bottom side is up. Dollop the center of each bottom with a generous ½ teaspoon dulce de leche. Spread out dulce de leche, maintaining a narrow edge of cookie. Top with another cookie, making sure that the bottom of the cookie is again touching the caramel spread.
Finish cookies with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar.
big world | small kitchen
http://www.bigworldsmallkitchen.com/recipe/dulce-de-leche-sandwich-cookies-alfajores-recipe
3 Comments to “Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies (Alfajores)”
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Is there a good brandy substitute? I’m not sure I would use a whole bottle in the long run.
Good question, Kelsey. Any sweeter, dark alcohol would work. Rum. Bourbon. Cognac. Hopefully, you already have one of those on hand!
i just went to argentina and uruguay in january and LOVED alfajores! so addictive