Caramel Alfajores Cookies Recipes

CARAMEL ALFAJORES COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Process Easy Homemade Pie Dough and 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) sugar in food processor 30 sec. or until mixture is well blended and starts to form ball. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into ball; flatten into disk.
• Roll out 1 disk on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 16 rounds with 2-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place, 1 inch apart, on parchment-covered baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 13 to 15 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec. to 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted and sauce is well blended, stirring after 30 sec. Stir in cinnamon.
• Spread caramel sauce onto flat sides of 16 cookies, adding about 1 tsp. caramel sauce to each cookie. Cover with remaining cookies, flat sides down, to make 16 sandwiches. Place on wire rack; sprinkle with remaining sugar.

ALFAJORES (DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl. Place butter in a separate bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until soft and fluffy. Add white sugar and vanilla and mix well.
• Add flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture in 3 stages; mix until just blended. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log. Refrigerate dough logs until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice dough logs into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until just starting to turn golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes more.
• Use a knife to apply a generous amount of dulce de leche on one cookie. Sandwich another cookie on top and place on a serving tray. Repeat with remaining cookies and dulce de leche. Lightly dust finished cookies with confectioners' sugar.

TRADITIONAL ALFAJORES - CARAMEL SANDWICH COOKIES

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.