Complicated cookie recipe yields yummy results

My nephew is studying Spanish and in keeping with the season of baking, was assigned a cookie project. Bake some cookies and bring them to class to share.

He was excited. My sister Karen was not. My sister Karen cooks a lot. She makes dinner nearly every day. To be honest, if we are going to say, take a look back at 2019, I hardly cooked a meal a month. My sister Karen, she’s got it together when it comes to dinner prep.

But cooking and baking are two separate things. My sister Karen rarely bakes. There have been times I have gone looking for sugar for my coffee and there is none in her cabinet.

So, when my nephew Austin brought home the recipe for Alfajores, my sister Karen was skeptical.

“They will take us all day to make,” she texted.

The first challenge was the dulce de leche. To create the filling, cans of sweetened condensed milk have to boil in water for three hours and 15 minutes. She messaged my youngest sister Debra, who has a Spanish degree and has worked in Spain.

“I hope you don’t burn the house down,” Debra said. “Are they Spanish wedding cookies with ground nuts rolled on powdered sugar? I make those. There’s like a million steps.”

Also, she said, you can buy dulce de leche on the baking aisle by the condensed milk or with the ethnic Mexican foods.

SIDENOTE: It’s on aisle 8 at the Brentwood, Tennessee, Kroger.

Other ingredients my sister needed to pick up included Brandy, cornstarch and coconut. She considered substituting whiskey or bourbon, which she had, but decided to stay true to the recipe and stop by the liquor store.

Back home she gathered the “overwhelming” amount of ingredients and they got started, after texting an SOS: “I did not know half of these products even existed until yesterday.”

And, “I don’t have ‘fine sea salt.’ Does it really make a difference? There is unsalted butter?”

My youngest sister Debra, the keeper of the sugar cookie recipe, and I told her it’s mostly fine to substitute table salt.

I agree this is a complicated multi-step recipe. But spoiler alter: They turned out really, really well. My sister was worried the cookies were a bit crumbly before she sandwiched them, but they went together fine.

My sister and her kitchen were another matter.

“I’m covered in cornstarch, which I’m not even sure what that is, and my kitchen looks like a tornado came through.”

In the end, my nephew Austin thought the Alfajores were delish and my sister learned a lot about ingredients that are commonly used in cookie recipes.

ALFAJORES

Makes about 50 cookies.

2 13.4-ounce cans dulce de leche

1 tablespoon brandy

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

2 large egg yolks

1 cup finely ground dried coconut

Combine brandy, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add egg yolks and beat to combine.

Then add the brandy mixture to the sugar-butter mixture and beat just until the ingredients are combined.

Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.

Divide 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.

Preheat 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 rounds on prepared cookie sheets and bake until the edges start to turn golden, about 7 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Spoon dulce de leche into a plastic zipper bag and cut a corner off.

Flip half of the cookies upside down and pipe a tick layer of dulce de leche in the middles.Top with remaining cookies to sandwich the dulce de leche in the middle.

Roll sides in coconut and eat right away, or store in the refrigerator until serving.

If you have a complicated cookie recipe that requires multiple steps and stages, but turns out an amazing batch of sweetness, we would love to hear from you. And we would love to know if you have ever cooked condensed milk into dulce de leche. DM us on Instagram @itswhateverblog, email us at itswhateverblog@outlook.com, or post to our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/amyandmariaFB.

Happy baking,

Amy