Hello everybody!

As you may already know, one of the things I love the most about cooking and baking is that I get the opportunity to experience food from all over the world and it’s also a good way to know a new culture. One of the first cookies I have ever made were alfajores, a cookie from latin america. This is one of the best cookies I have had so far because it is the combination of all the things I love: a buttery shortbread cookie, dulce de leche and shredded coconut. This is a very popular cookie in all latin america and also in Spain and I understand why!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I always like to try different ways of making food, I figured that instead of having little cookies I could make a big one that everyone can share! I kept the main parts of the alfajores which are the shortbread and the dulce de leche, but I also decided to add a creamy coconut whip cream as a reminder of the shredded coconut and also for more texture. This alfajor tart is a combination of a buttery and crumbly cookie, the gooeyness of the dulce de leche and the creaminess of the coconut whip cream and I am not disappointed by the result! It is decadent and perfect for your sweets cravings!

Let’s start baking!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 2/4 cups sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 jar of dulce de leche (or make your own here)
• Shredded coconut for decoration
• Coconut whip cream x 2 (recipe from Minimalist Baker here)

Preparation:

1- In a bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well.

2- In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together. Once the mixture is smooth, add the egg yolks, the vanilla extract and the lemon zest. Beat again until smooth.

3- Incorporate the flour mix into the butter mix little by little. The dough will become crumbly so continue kneading until the dough comes together. Make a ball, cover and place in the fridge for 30 min.

4- Preheat the oven at 350 F. Pressed down the chilled dough down the tart dish (I used an 11″ tart dish). Create a large circle a bit deeper than the sides so it creates a space for the dulce de leche filling. Let about 1 inch on the sides and keep pressing down the middle until it is a bit deeper than the sides. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 min. It will become light brown when it is ready. Let cool down for about 1h.

5- Once the tart has cooled down, spread the dulce de leche inside the deeper space. Be generous on the dulce de leche!! Then decorate with some coconut whip cream and shredded coconut and enjoy.

This is a decadent dessert that will be liked by everyone! It has everything to look for in a tart: crunch, gooeyness and creaminess!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you will enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comment what you think about this recipe and if you liked it.

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