Praline Alfajores Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dulce de leche: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully lower condensed milk cans on their sides into the water. Simmer for 3 hours 15 minutes, refilling with hot water as needed to keep cans submerged. Never let the water boil away, or the cans could burst. Using tongs, transfer cans to a rack to let cool completely before opening.
• In a small bowl, combine brandy, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and beat to combine, then add brandy mixture and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from plastic wrap and slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Place on prepared sheet pans, then bake until edges start to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer each pan to a rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, combine dulce de leche with remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and a large pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture into a plastic zipper bag and cut a corner off. (Or you could scoop it into a pastry bag if you prefer, or just use a spoon.)
• Flip half of the cookies upside down and pipe a thick layer of dulce de leche onto bottoms (or use a spoon to spoon the mixture on). Top with remaining cookies to sandwich the dulce de leche in the middle. Roll sides in coconut. Eat right away, or store in the refrigerator until serving.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, allowing each yolk to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla rum, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest with the last egg. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a spoon, making a crumbly dough. When the dough becomes cohesive enough, press it together into a ball with your hands. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough, using as little flour as possible, about 1/4 inch thick. The dough will have an unusual consistency. Cut with a small round cookie cutter. Continue pressing the dough together, rolling it out, and cutting until you have used it all. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set but not browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies immediately to cool on a wire rack.
• Spread the underside of a cooled cookie with a teaspoon of dulce de leche, then sandwich together with another cookie until the caramel oozes out the sides. Roll the sides in the shredded coconut.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, corn flour and baking powder together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Using a food mixer or an electric whisk in another bowl beat the butter together with the sugar and lemon zest until very pale. Add the egg yolks followed by the Cognac and vanilla extract. Beat in the dry ingredients until you have smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. You can make the biscuit dough the day before and leave in the fridge.
• Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin then cut out 60 biscuits with a 5cm round or fluted cutter. Put the biscuits back in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the biscuits for 8 mins until just set. You want the biscuits to stay pale with a crumbly texture. Leave to cool completely before sandwiching two biscuits together with a spoonful of dulce de leche. Once all the biscuits are sandwiched together roll in desiccated coconut.

Steps:

• Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar gradually, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon rind.
• Sift together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating until thoroughly combined.
• Drop the batter by small spoonfuls onto well buttered baking sheets. Leave enough space between the cookies because they will spread.
• Bake in a 350 degrees oven 15 minutes. Immediately remove from the baking sheets and let cool.
• When cool, spread some Dulce de leche on the bottom half of the cookies and make a sandwich with the remaining cookies. Squeeze the sandwiches so that some of the dulce de leche is squeezed out the sides, and roll the sides in the grated coconut.

Steps:

• In a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar, and shortening until fluffy.
• Add egg (at room temperature) and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter and sugar mixture, and mix on low speed until the flour is just incorporated.
• Add the ground nuts and mix 20 seconds more.
• Roll the dough into two cylinders, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap well with saran wrap and chill until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice off 1/8" -1/4" inch thick rounds of dough, and place on a cookie sheet. Brush cookies slightly with water (using damp pastry brush), and sprinkle tops of cookies with sugar.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching closely, until cookies start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and cool cookies completely on a rack.
• Spread dulce de leche on a the bottom of a cookie and sandwich another cookie to the first, with the sugared sides of the cookies facing out.

Steps:

• Mix the ground almond meal, flour, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Grate the almond paste into the bowl.
• Blend the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, until dough is smooth and well mixed. Chill dough for 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• On a well floured surface, roll half the cookie dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut desired shapes and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps until all of the dough has been rolled and cut.
• Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
• When cookies are cool spread 1-2 tsps of dulce de leche on a cookie and top with another.

Steps:

• Empty sweetened condensed milk into 8 inch glass pie plate. If you can't find 11 oz. sweetened condensed milk then use 14 oz. Put 1/4 inch hot water into 2 quart shallow casserole. Set pie plate in water. Bake at 425°F for about 1 hour and 20 minutes to caramelize.
• FOR THE COOKIES: Cream butter and sugar in medium bowl. Beat in egg and egg yolk. Add lemon peel, cornstarch, flour and baking powder. Stir. Work with your hands until dough sticks together. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough a scant 1/4 inch thick on floured surface. Cut into 1 1/2 inch circles. Arrange on greased baking sheet. Bake in 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. They should be dry but not brown. Cool.
• Sandwich 2 cookies together with a layer of caramelized condensed milk. Spread a thin layer of caramelized condensed milk around outside edge of alfajores. Roll edge in coconut. Makes 30 alfajores.
• Leftover caramelized sweetened condensed milk is great on toast.
• Company's Coming for Christmas.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large baking sheets.
• Pour 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan. Add cinnamon stick. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, or until thick and caramel colored. (Some additional water will be needed for bottom pan of double boiler). Remove from heat; remove cinnamon stick.
• Sift cornstarch, flour and baking powder together into medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl on medium speed until creamy. Add yolks; mixing well. Add lemon zest and brandy. With wooden spoon, mix cornstarch mixture into butter mixture to make a soft dough. If it is too soft (should not be runny), add some additional flour. With floured hands, form dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into at least 34, 2-inch circles. Reroll dough as necessary. Place circles on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until set; careful not to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Spread about 2 teaspoons Caramelized Milk to flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. If desired, allow some of the Caramelized Milk filling to squeeze from the sides or spread more around the sides to roll in coconut, nuts or cocoa powder.
• Cookies will keep in the refrigerator for several days or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Steps:

• Cream butter; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla and lemon rind.
• Sift together cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixture and mix well.
• Drop batter by small spoonfuls onto well buttered baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove immediately. Sandwich the cookies together with dulce de leche. See my recipe.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix briefly.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture, blending with your fingers until the mixture is smooth.
• Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and Pisco, and mix with your hands until the dough is homogeneous and smooth (add a little extra Pisco if dough is too crumbly to form a ball).
• Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough to 3/8" thickness, and cut into 2 inch circles.
• Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• .Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes, until they are barely golden brown. Let cookies cook 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
• To fill the cookies, spread one cookie with dulce de leche and top with second cookie. Roll the edges in the coconut.
• Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients until forming a smooth dough.
• roll the dough in 1/4 inch.
• cut in 2 inches diameter circles.
• bake them a 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
• do not brown them.
• let cool and spread dulce de leche.