An alfajor (Spanish, in IPA: [alfa'xoɾ]; plural alfajores) is a traditional cookie in some regions of Spain and in countries of Latin America, found all over South American and Central America and Mexico, most notably in Uruguay...
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An alfajor (Spanish, in IPA: [alfa'xoɾ]; plural alfajores) is a traditional cookie in some regions of Spain and in countries of Latin America, found all over South American and Central America and Mexico, most notably in Uruguay, Argentina and Perú. Its basic form consists of two round sweet biscuits joined together with dulce de leche or jam and covered with powdered sugar. In most alfajores there are two layers of cake, and a filling in between.
Though the food has been popular in Argentina and Uruguay since the mid 19th century, it has its roots in the Middle East. The name alfajor is derived from Arabic ﺍلفﺸﺮ IPA: [alfaˈʃur], which means "stuffed" or "filled". The archetypal alfajor entered Iberia during the period of al-Andalus.
It seems like my excuses to bake are getting more and more ridiculous. This time, it’s something along the lines of “I made two cans of dulce de leche and I can’t go on eating it on toast every morning for a month even though it tastes great. Therefore I must bake alfajores .” I’m glad that I decided to bake them, but another baking glitched occured !
On a whim, I decided to make dulce de leche again, using the boiling can method. I’ve tried the oven method, but I think that it’s a more... Read Full Story
By Damian Papworth Visiting a foreign land for the first time and totally clueless about where to go or what to do first? Just find a local cafe. Whether its right as businesses and markets are opening, during the slow afternoon hours after busy people have gone back to their jobs, or late at night instead of hitting a bar, there's always something to learn at a cafe. In fact, the best way to learn about the country or city you're visiting is by hanging out, having a coffee, and looking... Read Full Story
By Damian Papworth Visiting a foreign land for the first time and totally clueless about where to go or what to do first? Just find a local cafe. Whether its right as businesses and markets are opening, during the slow afternoon hours after busy people have gone back to their jobs, or late at night instead of hitting a bar, there's always something to learn at a cafe. In fact, the best way to learn about the country or city you're visiting is by hanging out, having a coffee, and looking... Read Full Story
By Damian Papworth Visiting a foreign land for the first time and totally clueless about where to go or what to do first? Just find a local cafe. Whether its right as businesses and markets are opening, during the slow afternoon hours after busy people have gone back to their jobs, or late at night instead of hitting a bar, there's always something to learn at a cafe. In fact, the best way to learn about the country or city you're visiting is by hanging out, having a coffee, and looking... Read Full Story
By Damian Papworth Clueless about the best way to meet people and get to know a new city? There's a simple way to figure out where the best spot to go later in the evening is, or better yet, to understand how things work. Just head to a local cafe, and get the best insight on how the country you're in operates. Learn if people are leisurely or rushed just by watching them drink some coffee. The caf? lifestyle varies greatly from country to country. The Europeans of the world wouldn't think... Read Full Story
If beef is the national dish of Argentina, dulce de leche is undeniably the country’s sweet treat -- the average Argentinean eats 6 pounds each year. Dulce de leche is a creamy, silky dessert made from sweetened milk. It tastes something like caramel, without the syrupy aftertaste. The texture is smoother and fuller than caramel but not grainy or dry like peanut butter.
Describing the taste does not do it justice, of course. You’ll just have to try it. And in... Read Full Story
This Dulce de Leche cake was an experiment I tried out a couple of months ago . The cake itself is very rich and so sweet that only a small slice will suffice. The cake definitely satisfies one’s sweet tooth! But be warned, not for those who cannot handle sugar very well. Doesn’t that look beautiful?
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This grocery store sells 1kg cans of Dulce de Leche for about U$S6.5. Dulce de Leche is the true gold of South America, gold that is hoarded on your love handles to be exact. The sweet spread consists mainly of three basic components, sugar, milk and fat. It looks and tastes like a crème caramel dessert and can be spread e.g. on bread or toast. Actually, there is hardly a thing Argentinean wouldn't add some Dulce to. They have dulce de leche-flavored ice cream, cookies and cakes and even... Read Full Story
This desert is sensual and fancy yet it is really just milk, sugar and patience. Three or four hours of stirring seemed like too much effort when one could buy Dulce de Leche on almost any block in the city. Well, the need for thrift and some short cut instructions from Dan has changed things. Keep in mind his recipe is experimental and it may not work for larger batches. (maybe a larger pot will keep his technique intact if you double the dulce.) Use it at will on ice cream, fruit or as a... Read Full Story
There is no doubt that Alfajores are native to South America, and each country has their little spin on this delectable delight. In Argentina, they use Dulce de Leche as the filling for these cookie sandwiches. Dulce de Leche is a caramel made from reducing sweetened condensed milk. In Peru you will find both Dulce de Leche and Manjar Blanco being used in the creation of this cookie. Manjar Blanco (loosely translates to "white food") is an incredible cross between a caramel and a pudding and... Read Full Story
