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There was a time when I was obsessed with dulce de leche-filled pastries. The single reason that mania ended is because I moved away from the bakery named after the ingredient. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying the custardy, sweet, caramel-y substance, I’ve got just the excuse for you to try it: Alfajores. From the moment you taste them, you’ll be a lifer.
What are alfajores?
Alfajores have their roots in Spain, but are enjoyed in many parts of world, including Chile, Argentina, the Philippines, and Southern France. It’s a simple but satisfying sandwich cookie with a dulce de leche filling, and often the edges are rolled in coconut shreds. Depending on the regional style, alfajores can be made with thick, buttery cookies, crumbly, nut-based cookies, or thin, cracker-like shells. At its simplest, it’s two carb-y discs with thick dulce de leche caramel in the center, and that’s plenty to get excited about.
How do you make lazy alfajores?
You could make the dulce de leche from a can of sweetened condensed milk, and bake up a full batch of butter cookies. Or you could do it the lazy way. Both paths lead to real alfajores. I fully support you in making these completely from scratch. However, I eat food like The Beast eats porridge in front of Belle. The lazy way makes more sense for my prep-time to enjoyment-speed ratio.
Purchase a box of butter cookies or plain water crackers. The thick butter cookies are a more popular style, and results in a more substantial, sweeter alfajor. If you like desserts that aren’t too sweet or too filling, try the water cracker approach. The cracker has no added sweetness, and acts as a neutral delivery system for dulce de leche and coconut flakes. You could purchase a buttery cracker like Ritz if you want to find a middle ground, and get a salty snap as well.
Purchase a container of premade dulce de leche. This is normally in the “international foods” aisle in large supermarkets, around the Latin or South American food shelves. If you can’t find it, dulce de leche is easily made at home with a can of sweetened condensed milk. (Here are three different ways to do it.) You want the consistency to be thick like Skippy peanut butter, almost fudgy.
Pulse a cup of shredded coconut in a food processor to make the pieces small. This is optional but I find that the smaller pieces will stick better. Pour the coconut onto a plate. Lay out a few cookies or crackers, place them upside down if that applies. I used Walkers shortbread rounds and Carr’s plain water crackers. They’re both about two inches wide. Spoon roughly one tablespoon of dulce de leche onto each disk in the center. Place another cookie or cracker, right-side up, on top of the filling and press gently until the filling almost comes to the edges. Roll the edges of the cookies on the plate of coconut so the shreds stick to the filling. Repeat for all of the alfajores.
You can enjoy these treats immediately or let them rest them for a few hours (or overnight) before enjoying them. The unrested ones will be crunchy on the outside, and the filling may squeeze out the sides slightly, but the textural contrast between the crisp cookie, soft, fudgy filling, and chewy coconut is a pleasing experience. If you let them sit, the moisture from the dulce de leche softens the cracker or cookie and the texture becomes more uniform and the filling stays in place. There’s no wrong way to do it. Whichever you choose, the flavors of milk caramel, coconut, and buttery cookie will not fail you (especially if you have a hot cup of coffee.)
Lazy Alfajores
Ingredients:
- 8 cookies (or substitute water crackers)
- ¼ cup of dulce de leche
- ¼ cup finely shredded desiccated coconut
Pour the coconut onto a small plate. On a separate plate, line up four cookies, backside facing up. Scoop a tablespoon of dulce de leche onto the center of each cookie. Place four more cookies, backside down, onto the dulce de leche to make a sandwich. Press gently until the filling nearly reaches the edges. Roll the edges of each alfajor in the coconut so it sticks to the dulce de leche. Enjoy immediately for a crispy texture, or store at room temperature for at least four hours for a softer cookie.
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