If you do, you'll love alfajores. I made my first alfajores last weekend. Alfajor is a traditional arab cookie, which the Spaniards brought to the Americas! YUM!
they are extremely easy to do, but, oh, so sweet and sinful!
Ale loves them, and so do I. I had never tried to make them, though, but, on Friday I looked up a recipe on line and then bought all the ingredients on Saturday.
Now, no one makes Alfajores like my friend Katya´s... hers are like a piece of heaven that practically melts in your mouth! So thin and delicate! Mine were thick, not at all like hers...but, the flavor was right! So, now I need to practice some more until I can make them thin and luscious!
Thought I´d share the recipe here!
ALFAJORES
Ingredients :
1 ¾ cups sifted flour
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ cup butter or margerine
4 tablespoons pulverized sugar
1 tablespoon cold water
Manjar blanco (see recipe below)
Instructions:
Put the butter, flour, cornstarch, water, and pulverized sugar in a bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk. Finish working the dough with your hands, until the dough is smooth.
Roll with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Cut circles with a cookie cutter.
Put cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated oven [350° F (175° C) ] for 12-15 minutes.
Take out of the oven and cool them.
To make the alfajores, take a cookie, spread manjarblanco over one side and, cover with another cookie. Sprinkle with pulverized sugar.
MANJARBLANCO:
Ingredients :
1 can of condensed milk (397 g - 14 oz)
Instructions:
Place the can (closed) of condensed mik in a pot and cover it with water. Boil for 2 hours if in a conventional pot, or 45 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Cool the can completely before opening.
do you have a sweet tooth?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:01 am
October 21st, 2009 at 12:12 am 1256080340
Manjarblanco I have seen in dessert recipes from cookbooks of the Great Depression through the 1950's or so, but I don't remember if it had its own name. My impression is that the lactose sugars in the milk caramelize, making the can's contents thick and brown. I've always been afraid of trying it, lest the can explode!
Here butter is sold salted or unsalted. Margarine seems always salty, though some brands more than others. Would you recommend unsalted?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:19 am 1256080768
The can did not explode, I guess they leave enough space in it! the manjar blanco is sinful enough by itself!