Alfajores peruanos, a traditional Peruvian cookie, are delightful treats that captivate taste buds with their sweet and crumbly texture. Originating in the colonial era, these cookies have become a ubiquitous part of Peruvian cuisine and are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Typically consisting of two soft and chewy cookies sandwiched together with a layer of manjar blanco, a type of sweet milk caramel, alfajores peruanos are often dusted with powdered sugar or adorned with colorful sprinkles. With their irresistible flavor and charming appearance, these cookies have gained popularity worldwide and are often served as a sweet treat during special occasions or as a delightful snack to satisfy cravings.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
PERUVIAN ALFAJORES
Delicate shortbread cookies filled with dulce de leche and covered in powdered sugar. This is the Peruvian recipe.
Provided by F Polack
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American South American Peruvian
Time 3h35m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Sift flour and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar together into a bowl. Rub the shortening into the flour until completely incorporated to form a dough. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick, then cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch circles with a small, round cookie cutter. Place circles onto an ungreased baking sheet, and poke each twice with a fork.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Disks should be removed from the oven while still pale, they should not brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To assemble the alfajores, spread one of the disks with a teaspoon of dulce de leche, then place a second disk on top, creating a sandwich. Repeat with remaining disks, then dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 228.5 calories, Carbohydrate 24.9 g, Cholesterol 0.8 mg, Fat 13.4 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 13.8 mg, Sugar 8 g
PERUVIAN ALFAJORES WITH MANJAR BLANCO
These are the nectar of the gods. Shortbread cookies with a sweet filling, covered in powdered sugar. Mmm. They are time consuming to make, but always worth it.
Provided by Kara Marie Cormier
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American South American Peruvian
Time 2h10m
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Beat white sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add cornstarch, flour, eggs, pisco, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Mix gently until combined.
- Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand until smooth. Add water as needed. Divide in half, refrigerate 1 portion, and leave the other out.
- Coat your work surface with powdered sugar. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or shot glass. Place rounds close together on a baking sheet. Prick each cookie twice with a fork.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; cookies should still be white and soft, not crispy, and will firm up as they cool. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- Pour condensed milk, evaporated milk, and brown sugar into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until filling approaches the consistency of thick caramel, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; mixture will firm up as it cools to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Pour confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the filling over cooled cookies. Attach every two cookies together to make the alfajores. Roll alfajores in confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 226.6 calories, Carbohydrate 35.9 g, Cholesterol 37.3 mg, Fat 7.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 2.7 g, SaturatedFat 4.8 g, Sodium 83 mg, Sugar 19.7 g
ALFAJORES (PERUVIAN)
Steps:
- Remove labels of of milk cans - do NOT open the can. Boil unopened can(s) of sweet condensed milk in deep pots with plenty of water over a high heat for 1.5-2 hours. The more you boil it the deeper, more caramelly and more flavorful the filling will be. Make sure the water does not run out and the pot does not run dry. Turn off heat and allow water to cool for about 20-30 min. Remove can from water with pinchers and allow the can to cool to room temperature. While milk is boiling, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter a stick at a time in chunks, working through to make small chunks (you can use a food processor for the first 2 sticks). When you add the last stick of butter you should be able to form a ball of dough. Try not to overwork dough. Refridgerate dough for 15 min. Roll out dough (I do half at a time) on smooth stone or wooden surface using plenty of flour on both sides and on rolling pin to avoid sticking. Roll out to 1/4 in thick and then cut out shapes with a round cookie cutter. With a spatula or with fingers, arrange cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Continue rolling cookie dough and placing onto baking sheet until all the dough is gone. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are brown (about 10-15 min.) Remove from oven, cool. Separate cookies from the baking sheet with a spatula. Using a can opener, open the room temperature can(s) of sweet condensed milk. Do not open if still warm. Using a small spreading knife, (like a cheese knife), spread a small amount on the bottom side of a cookie. Place a similar size cookie on top to make a sandwich and put aside (on another baking sheet). Once all cookies have been made into a sandwich, and have been placed on a sheet evenly spaced apart, place about 1/4 cp of powdered sugar on sieve and sprinkle over cookies. Enjoy!
Tips:
- To make the alfajores more flavorful, you can use different types of dulce de leche, such as dulce de leche with nuts, dulce de leche with chocolate, or dulce de leche with fruit.
- You can also use different types of cookies for the alfajores, such as chocolate cookies, vanilla cookies, or shortbread cookies.
- To make the alfajores more festive, you can decorate them with sprinkles, grated chocolate, or chopped nuts.
- Alfajores can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Alfajores are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for parties, picnics, or as a snack. With a variety of flavors and toppings to choose from, there is sure to be an alfajor that everyone will love.
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