Chocolate Alfajores
These are chocolate alfajores.
Chocolate Alfajores, you are probably wondering what these are ? Argentinian biscuits.
They are a simple biscuit sandwiched with dulce deleche and than to finish off covered in chocolate.
You can see it clearer in this picture.
These biscuits are enjoyed in Argentina on a regular basis. Kids take them to school for morning tea, parents take them to work to eat. These are served in any household if you have unexpected guest. And a favourite dessert over there. This is like their pavlova of New Zealand. Iconic.
Teh filling is sweetend milk pretty much but its more well known name is dulce deleche. This topping is used in cakes, icings, filling crepes and the list goes on. I love the dark amber colour it has of carmel, but a soft interior.
Traditional chocoalte alfajores don't have that white spiral design, but I added it because I thought it would be very visually appealing. I was right, when I offered these round many people were very curious of them because they hadn't seen anything like it. When I would explain what this biscuit was, it intriged them more to try this biscuit.
I do not own the rights to this photo^^
The reason I baked these was one afternoon we opened a box of these and mum and I shared one. We fell in love with them staright away. Nibbling on one as the days rolled past. In a box you get 6, 3 chocolate and 3 meringue. Personally my favourite is the chocolate and I wanted to see if I could replicate it. I asked Fruss to read out the ingredients because they were in espanol. Then i researched online and happily found there were recipes avalible.
Your probably wondering where I got all this Argentian culture. In 2011 we had an Argentian exchange student, Julian who stayed with us for a year. 2014 Fruss travelled to Buenous Aires and stayed with Julian and his family for a year. (Julian in the red)
I love to bring a bit of culture flare to my blog, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home, but experience a world of cultures.
Julian brought alfajores to us in 2011, so when Fruss was returning home we were welcomed by them again.
I think I have replicated them pretty good, but also putting my own spin on it with deocarting (white squiggles) and flavour (adding orange zest).
When I took these into the hostel for the girls to snack on. I would say to them would you like an Alfajores. Pronouced Owl-fa-hores. The name was enough for them to try it they were very fascinated.
Dulce Deleche is like nutella, a sweet spread, people eat it straight, spread on toast or fill crepes with it.
I remember when Julian had been with us for about a month. Sean and Julian cooked up some dulce deleche. A traditional sweet treat is dipping oreo biscuits in the dulce deleche. It was so delicious! Before this blog post has ended, I expect you to have a pot of dulce deleche sitting in front of you with a packet of oreos. This is a must!
Shall we begin the tutroial?
-Start with softened butter
-Beat the butter till pale in colour
-Gradually add in the sugar
-Beat until its combined.
-Add vanilla and mix
-Add nutella and orange zest and mix till combined.
-Add egg and milk and mix till combined.
-Sift 1/3 of flour into the bowl.
-Fold with a spatchula to combine.
-Sift the next third of the flour into the bowl. Along with 1 stp of cinnamon
-Fold until the flour is asorbed.
-Sift in your last third of a mixture
-Fold until there are no traces of flour visible.
-Turn out onto a floured bench and shape into a disc and refridgerate for 1 hour to firm up.
-When dough is chilled, roll out to 5cm thick.
-Cut out circles with a crimped edge for a prettier finish.
-Bake at 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes
-Spread your dulce deleche on one side of the biscuit and sandwiched the other.
-Place sandwiched cookies on a wire rack.
-Pour your chocolate glaze over the biscuits.
-Allow the chocolate to cover the biscuit and fall on a tray with baking powder.
Look at that beautiful tempered chocolate (so shiny!)
-Fill a cornet with white chocolate and decoarte random designs on the biscuit.
-Move the biscuit carefully off the wire rack and place on a tray.
-Place the tray in the freezer.
Making GLAZE
-Heat cream over a pot until it just begins to boil
-Break up chocolate and place in a bowl.
-Pour hot cream over chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
-Once it has sat for 5 minutes, grab your spatchula and gently mix the cream and chocolate together.
-Don't mix vigurousilly because then you will incoperate unecessary air.
-Add in butter and mix.
Recipe
Alfajore Bisuit
Source: seashells and sunflowers blog
172 grams butter
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tablespoon nutella
zest of 1 orange
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3 cup flour
2/3 cup cornflour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
approx 11/2 cup dulce de leche
180g good quality chocolate
180ml full fat cream
Method
-Preheat oven to fan bake 180 degrees.
-In a medium bowl beat together the butter until light and pale in colour.
-Add sugar and mix till its combined.
-Add vanilla, nutella and orange zest and mix till its well combinded.
-Add milk and egg and mix, set aside.
-In a seperate bowl sift the flour,cornsflour and baking powder.
-Make a well in the wet ingredients and place one third of the dry ingredients.
-Use a spatchula and fold the dough until there is no more flour.
-Continue this in three incrememnts until there is no more dry ingredients to be added.
-Turn out on a floured bench and lightly knead the dough to form a disc. Cover with glad wrap and allow it to sit in the fridge until the butter has set up.
-Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5cm. Using a circle cutter, cut out as many circles as you can.
-Place the circles on a baking tray that is already lined with baking paper.
-Bake the biscuits for 5-7 minutes in a preheated oven. They will puff slightly.
-You want the biscuits to be barely cooked through without browning. If you overbake these biscuits they will be dry and crumbly. And not moist.
-Remove off the baking tray and place the biscuits on a wire rack and allow to cool.
-When the biscuits are cool, spread a generous amount of dulce de leche over one of every two biscuit.
-Sandwich the biscuits together.
-Place the biscuits on a wire rack with a tray underneath and lined with baking paper. Pour chocolate ganache glaze over the biscuits.
-When the first coat begins to set pour the next coat over the biscuits.
-When most of the chocolate has dripped off the biscuit, place the biscuits on a baking tray with baking paper.
-Place in the freezer to allow the glaze to set up.
And thats it, these biscuits have a few steps, making the biscuit, making the dulce de leche and the chocolate glaze. BUt don't let those steps phase you these biscuits are something..
Until next time lovelies..
