Alfajores

The way to my heart can be expressed in a single word: Caramel. Honestly, I am that easy. So it should be no problem for me to love alfajores, the South American cookie filled with Dulce de Leche. And I do. Sometimes. But sometimes they just make my teeth hurt, they’re so sweet.

After scouring the four corners of the internet, I learned that, like any traditional recipe that is handed down over generations, the variations on alfajores are limitless. Recipes ranged from equal parts flour and corn starch (Corn flour in the UK), the addition of coconut (ugh), chocolate, almonds, more sugar, less sugar. So with all that information, I chucked it all and made what I thought was right. And to me, this just may be the perfect cookie.

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp powdered sugar plus more for dusting if desired

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Dulce de leche (I purchased a jar of Argentinian DdL, which was really tasty from my local Greek market. Gotta love it. )

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and sugar and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. wrap the dough in plastic and chill for an hour.

Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into whatever shape you like. Bake 12-15 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.

Cool on a rack completely, then spread with a tablespoon or so of Dulce de Leche. Dust the tops with powdered sugar if desired.

makes about 15 cookies of love.