Alfajores (vegan)

Sweet and Caramely Coconut Dulce de Leche Sandwiched between two Light Butter Cookies

Alfajores are a common and popular cookie throughout South America. They originated in Spain and was then brought over to South America during the colonization. There are many different ways to make Alfajores and every country has their own twist on the cookie. Dulce de leche is a popular filling in Peru, Argentina and Colombia. Other fillings commonly used in Alfajores are chocolate, honey, fruit paste and syrup. I hope you try this recipe out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Ingredients

Dulce De Leche

1 thirteen oz can of Condensed sweetened Coconut milk

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Cookies

1 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), at room temperature (Country Crock Avocado Oil sticks)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brandy

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Flour for Rolling cookies out

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Procedures

Start by making the dulce de leche. Add the condensed coconut milk to a medium saucepan and add ¼ tsp vanilla extract to the pan. Heat the pan over medium and stir occasionally. Keep the condensed coconut milk at a simmer, and stir continuously to prevent the mixture from burning or overflowing. The mixture should start to thicken and darken slightly to a light brown.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick when at room temperature.

You can test it by taking a spoon full of the mixture and let it sit at room temperature until it thickens. The mixture should be smooth enough to spread when hot, but thick enough to hold its shape when at room temperature. When it is ready, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Next, make the cookies. In a medium bowl, sift together the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, baking powder. Whisk together and set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Once light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract and brandy. Whisk together until well combined.

In thirds, add the flour mixture mixing between additions to create a smooth batter. Once the batter is smooth, form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap the dough out onto a clean dry surface. Sprinkle the dough, rolling pin, and cookie cutter with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness.

Using a 1 inch cookie cutter cut out about 30 cookies. Place the cut out cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Leave about a ½ inch space between each cookie on the baking sheet. You may need two baking sheets for the cookies depending on the size of your baking sheets. Place the baking sheet with the cookie on into the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. This is on the cookies will keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.

Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time (if there are multiple baking sheets) for 15 to 17 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, patch each cookie with a similar sized cookie to create cookie sandwiches. Use a knife or mini offset spatula to spread a small amount of the dulce de leche on the bottom of one cookie. Then place the over cookie on top to create a cookie sandwich or aflajore. Gently press together and set aside to dry and for the dulce de leche to set. This recipe should make about 15 alfajores.

Dust the alfajores with powdered sugar and enjoy. Best enjoyed within 12 hours of assembling. Keep in an airtight container to preserve. Cookies and dulce de leche can be made in advance and then assembled on or two days later.