There were many things we expected to fall in love with in Argentina; wine, steak, mountains, more wine… We didn’t expect to be wooed by a seductively silky caramel sauce – it just happened. Dulce de leche is everywhere in Argentina. And we love it.
Our favourite way to enjoy dulce de leche is squished between two cookies and dusted with coconut. Otherwise known as Alfajores. The sweet, sweet taste of Argentina.
Check out our video to see how we made them, and follow this recipe to try them for yourself…
Ingredients:
Cookies
* 200g butter
* 150g sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2 tsp. lemon rind, grated
* 2 tbsp. Cognac
* 300g cornstarch
* 200g flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* For the filling: 300g dulce de leche
* 1⁄2 cup of grated coconut
Dulce de leche
* 4 cups milk
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Cookies
* Beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
* Beat in vanilla, lemon grind, and cognac.
* In another bowl, sift together cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry mixture by the spoonful to the wet mixture and fold in gently. Cover the bowl with cling film, and refrigerate the dough for one hour.
* Roll the dough out on a floured surface and use a circular cookie cutter to cut circles (4 cm in diameter)
* Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees celsius for around 10 minutes. Remove immediately. They should not be overcooked.
* Sandwich the cookies together with dulce de leche and roll the borders in the grated coconut.
* This recipe makes 80 small cookies or 40 alfajores. You can make half of this recipe to make 40 cookies or 20 alfajores.
Dulce de leche
* Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
* Add all other ingredients, being sure to stir the sugar with a whisk until it’s completely dissolved. Cook on low until it turns into caramel, about 2-3 hours. It should have a rich brown color and smooth texture when done.
* Consistency is a matter of taste, some like theirs runnier than others, but test it by spooning some onto the center of a plate. If it stays without running and making a puddle, it’s ready.
Credit @Argentinecooknorma for teaching us her recipe – we will definitely make these sweet treats again when we get back home!