My mother was born in Peru and came to the United States with her family when she was very young. It’s very exciting that Peruvian cuisine is now up and coming – the food is a wonderful blend of seafood, cultural blends (notably Italian and Chinese), with onions and potatoes in everything and it’s very own distinct hot sauce called aji (ah – HEE).
One of my absolute favorite recipes, though, is a dessert cookie called alfajores (ahl – fah – HOR – es). Varieties of this cookie show up all over South America, but I have never found a recipe to match my Lita’s (short for abuelita, an affectionate word for grandmother). Basically, it is a sandwich cookie made out of shortbread cookies with dulce de leche in between and smothered in powdered sugar.
Cookies:
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Method:
- Cut in the shortening and flour, then add the milk and sugar.
- My grandmother also added a teaspoon of anise to the recipe, which is optional.
- Form into dough, roll out and cut circles with a cookie cutter.
- Pierce each cookie lightly with a fork.
- Place on a cookie sheet close together (they will not expand) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Let cool.
Dulce de Leche:
Ingredients:
- 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
Method:
This was the method my family always used until you were able to buy dulce de leche straight from Meijer or Jewel Osco (now we cheat). If you would like a recipe to make homemade dulce de leche, from scratch, check out this article.
If you’re using the can of sweetened condensed milk:
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pour the can into a 9 inch round cake pan and cover tightly with foil.
- Place the pan in a larger roasting pan filled with hot water.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Check the water level – you may need to add more.
- Then bake for 45 more minutes, or until the milk is thick and brown.
Assembly:
Ingredients:
- A LOT of powdered sugar
Method:
- Take one cookie, spread the dulce de leche on top of it.
- Sandwich with another cookie, and then roll carefully in powdered sugar.
- If it breaks, you must eat it immediately (this was my family’s rule, anyways).
We make these every holiday season, and I hope you enjoy them as well!
Expertise: Intermediate
Ease: Beginner (if you use pre-made Dulce de Leche).
Customizing: None, I follow my Lita’s recipe exactly!
Repeatability: Every year.
Enjoy My Lita’s Alfajores Recipe!
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