Alfajores = Dulce de leche Cookies

Alfajores with Margaritas and Chips

A few weeks ago we had a taco potluck. I brought homemade Mexican rice along with these cookies. Alfajores are basically a cornstarch shortbread cookie filled with sweet dulce de leche.  Making homemade dulce de leche seems easy, but I had to try it twice before filling the cookies. The filling was thinner then I would have liked, but the first batch wasn't even spreadable.

Along with the variety of taco fillings, sides, churros and these cookies we had a yummy and successful taco party. Yum.

Alfajores aka Dulce de leche Cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg plus one yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 cups dulce de leche, see recipe below

powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar. Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. A little at a time, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue mixing until it forms a dough.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and divide the dough into two balls. Wrap the balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap one ball of dough and roll it out on a floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness, then cut with a small round cutter (or a juice glass). Repeat the rolling and cutting until you have used all the dough. Repeat with other ball of dough.
5. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Cool cookies completely. 
6. Spread a generous dollop of dulce de leche on one cookie and top with another cookie to make a sandwich. Press gently together. Cover in sifted powdered sugar.

Dulce de leche

Ingredients:

1-14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Fill a medium sauce pan with about an inch of water. Place a metal bowl on top, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
2. Pour a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk in the bowl and set it over the simmering water. 
3. Every 45 minutes, stir the milk.  Check the water level and replenish the simmering water with hot water as needed. 
4. When the milk is as thick as pudding and is a rich, dark caramel color, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, remove from heat, cool thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and use immediately or refrigerate for later use.