(Lima) Beans and Delhi Cha(a)t

Alfajores - Redux

A while back I posted about a typical dessert from my city called "Alfajores". You might remember them, those "cookie sanwiches" with blancmange and lots of powdered sugar on top. Well a few people have asked me to post the actual recipe to make these and, although it has taken me a while (blush) I finally have it here.

There are many ways to make these. The recipe I bring is a very tasty one with a slight modification, it includes some grated lemon skin which wil give the alfajores a very discreet, very nice taste. However, the star of this recipe, and the key to making great alfajores, is a special kind of flour we call maicena. Maicena, also known as cornflour or corn starch (fécula de maiz) is a very sticky bright white powder which will give the alfajores a cream/yellow color and a very unique texture (softer than a cookie but solid enough not to crumble).

So, let's do it :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornflour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100grms. margarine
1/4 cup powder sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon skin
shredded coconut


Preparation:

1. Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder together.
2. Beat margarine with powdered sugar until the mix has a creamy texture.
3. Add yolks, one by one, and little by little add the fine ingredients (from step one) and the grated lemon skin.
4. Make a ball of this dough and let it rest for 20 minutes (TIP: Don't leave the dough inside the mixer's glass recipient, better leave it on a table)
5. Scatter some flour on a flat surface and using a rolling pin work on the dough until it is 1/2cm (about a fifth of an inch) thick. Then cut circles of 5cm diameter (2 inches).
6. Bake the circles until they are not quite brown. Let them cool down completely. Once they are cold, make little sandwiches with blancmange (manjarblanco). Learn how to prepare it here.
7. You can seal the edges with blancmange and then roll the alfajor over shredded coconut.



So there it is, try them and let me know how it went :D Enjoy!!

Cesar

posted by cesarcarlos at 8:45 PM