Wednesday 30 April 2008

Alfajores de Dulce de Leche



I have been long awaiting the new Martha Stewart cookbook – Martha Stewart’s Cookies. It was worth waiting for!

The table of contents is done in pictorial form with pictures of the single cookies in question (as well as their names). The first time I saw this was in the Martha Stewart Living Holiday special in December 2005, and indeed many of the cookies from that magazine are in this cookie book, but there are extras as well. The format of picturial contents is a real wow, like looking at a big display case of cookies and choosing the one just right for the moment. I recognise some of them from the cookie of the month feature in the MSL magazines too. I sort of like that they are not all brand new – some are just classics and should be left in all their glory as they are. I like books of collected recipes.

The book is divided into chapters according to what kind of cookie you’d like to eat or bake: Light and Delicate, Soft and Chewy, Crumbly and Sandy, Chunky and Nutty, Cakey and Tender, Crisp and Nutty, Rich and Dense. There is also a chapter about wrapping and presenting baked cookies to give as gifts. I do need this as I tend to give friends and family little foil packets of goodies.

The first cookie I’ve baked from the book is Alfajores de Dulce De Leche, a shortbread cookie sandwiched together with dulce de leche, the come from the Rich and Dense chapter – rich and delicious I say!
Martha suggests we bake a new one every week, and you know I just might!

My notes for this recipe are: I didn’t sieve the flour and icing sugar, just mixed them in the processor and I immediately rolled and cut out the circles of dough, then refrigerated the dough on my tray, before baking. I also kept them assembled for a few hours and I couldn’t see any difference, although if it were hot this might not be the case. I used caster sugar, but the result was not as good as the sanding suger in the picture – will need to find some sanding sugar.

Alfajores de Dulce De Leche
A halved quantities recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cookies 2008

Makes 1 ½ to 2 dozen sandwich cookies
2 cups plain flour
half a ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon icing (confectioners) sugar
6 oz (1 ½ sticks) butter, chilled and cubed
¼ cup (2 fl oz) cold water
Sanding sugar for sprinkling
1 400g tin / jar dulce de leche

(1)Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or a baking mat
(2) Sieve the flour and icing sugar. Place the flour and icing sugar in a processor and pulse to mix. Add in the butter and mix, pulsing, until it looks like coarse meal, about 20 seconds. Add in the water down the tube and mix until the dough comes together. Form into a flattened circle and refrigerate for 1 hour.
(3) Preheat the oven to 350 oF / 175 oC. Roll the dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick and using a 1 ¾ inch round plain cookie cutter cut out discs. Place on the prepared tray and sprinkle half with sanding sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
(4) When cooled sandwich together cookies with about a teaspoon of dulce de leche and use the sanding sugar topped cookies for the top.
Serve immediately after assembling.

35 comments:

Cannelle Et Vanille said...

Those look soooo good... dulce de leche... love it. I have MS cookies book but i really haven't had the chance to bake from it. i need to!

Vicky said...

My husband was just looking over my shoulder when I was reading your blog and said "cor those look good" I couldn't agree more.
Vicky xxx

Anonymous said...

They look amazing, dulce de leche is gorgeous isn't it. I've been trying to avoid this book, but you know I think I'm going to have to give in.

Deborah said...

I am loving this book! These are one that I have bookmarked to try. I've made the peanut butter whoopie pies, which I will be posting about tomorrow, and they were delicious!

Maria♥ said...

Wowza Kelly, those look so good!! I really need this book now.

Maria
x

vonsachsen said...

Dulce de leche and shortbread are two of my very favourites and these cookies look fabulous!! I don´t have any MS book but now I feel seriously tempted!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Wow, Kelly-Jane, these are scrumptious!
I love dulce de leche and love alfajores, but have never tried making them myself.

Peabody said...

Super yummy. I need to look into that cookbook.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Ooh, dulce de leche makes anything luscious! These are just beautiful.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Oooh oooh oooh, I just bought this book and bookmarked this recipe to try! The book looks great -- so many beautiful cookies. My husband loves dulce de leche, so these are high on my list.

tara said...

What a coincidence! I just reviewed this book over on my site - though I picked the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars as our first recipe to try (at the request of my husband). I will definitely bookmark these as a "must try".

Anonymous said...

LOVE dulce de leche. This looks fantastic.

Anonymous said...

so i need to get this book, if only for the food porn.

those cookies look fan-freaking-tastic. although i'm pretty sure i would need to stop myself from eating the dulce with a spoon so there would be some left for the cookies.

Brilynn said...

I just got this book and can't wait to try it out!!

RecipeGirl said...

These look so mouthwateringly good!!! I've been longing for this cookbook. I may just have to buy it now :)

My Sweet & Saucy said...

These cookies look great! What a great pick for your first cookie of the book!

Susan said...

Oh...my! As if shortbread wasn't decadent enough! With the exception of macarons, sandwich cookies are something of a lost art. These are beauties, K-J!

julie said...

W brought me this book back from his recent trip to the US. Very droolworthy! And your alfarojes look delicious!

Rhyleysgranny said...

They look absolutely great. I wish i could just pick one off the screen
XXX

Oh my! Apple pie! said...

How gorgeous are they! Delicious too, I NEED that book.

Anonymous said...

That dulce de leche looks sooo creamy and gooey and makes me want to grab one of those cookies off the screen!

Anna's kitchen table said...

KJ, they look beautiful!

Lisa said...

Oh. My. Gosh.
K-J, they look PERFECT!!!
Wow.
I never used to be into Martha, and now I really like her. I like watching her show, she's cool! This is probably a book that everyone should have.

Anonymous said...

They look amazing!! I've had my nose deep into this book since I bought it earlier this week. Today I tried my first recipe - Anise Drops. They were lovely - sort of cakey but macaroony, chewy and with a really unusual flavour. Next time I'd use a scant tsp of anise flavouring as a full tsp made for quite a strong flavour.

What a great book though!

Maggie said...

I could just eat one of those - I'm sure you can't eat them all.....can you?

Pat said...

Hi K-J These look really scrummy!!! I have also tagged you on my blog for a cookbook meme.

Kelly-Jane said...

Thanks you all very much for your comments, and Pat thanks for the Meme!

KJxx

Helene said...

These look great! I just finished the box that Pip brought me and I still have dulce de leche to make some more! Yippee!!

Rosie said...

Oh my goodness KJ ...dulce de leche... I just love this post mmmm all nice and sweet for my addiction of a sweet-tooth!!

This is SO bookmarked - thanks for sharing :)

Rosie x

LisaRene said...

Shortbread are my all time favorite cookie and shortbread and dulce de leche would be amazing. These really look great!

Sandy said...

Gorgeous!!

Sarah Nuwave said...

Wow those look amazing. I think I'll have to make some with my kids this afternoon.

Chef Diva said...

Hi I saw your link on “the art of being perfect” blog. My friend from Peru made me these cookies. I must say they are delish. They melt in your mouth. Hmmmmm. I want one NOW!!!

-Diva

I heart cupcakes said...

I must make these. Been meaning to buy Martha's cookie book for some time but just haven't got round to it. I have the cupcake one and its gorgeous

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, these look delicious! I'm making a very similar recipe tomorrow from Cook's Country magazine and hope they are as good as yours!