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Steinman summarizes the construction and appeal of the cookie: "The alfajor is a Spanish/Latin-American confection in origin, consisting of two round shortbread cookies with a dulce de leche (caramel) center. Most often, the cookie is dipped in chocolate, sealing the two cookies into a delicious union, and approximating a very sophisticated and upmarket version of the chocolate-dipped Oreo (all apologies to the alfajores bakers out there)."
They sound dang delicious. But there are three problems with the "next big thing" theory:
1. Cupcake-addicted suburbanites are gonna struggle with the four-syllable name, al-fa-HOR-es. Get ready for people to step up to the baker's counter and order a dozen alpha-JOHRS.
2. Unlike cupcakes and (to a lesser extent, macarons), these things sound like they're going to be hard to make at home.
3. As a chocolate-dipped confection, you're pretty much limited to two colors: brown and darker brown. (Three if you think white chocolate is chocolate, but we can talk about that later.) Cupcakes and macarons come in every color of the rainbow, which makes them the perfect choice for decorating a wedding/shower/open-minded wake.
Image source: Flickr member aokettun under Creative Commons
In Argentina, every region has its own "take" on the alfajor...some use cake-like cookies, some phyllo cookies, and others shortbread. Some bathe the alfajor in dark chocolate, white chocolate, meringue, powdered sugar, some roll them in coconut. Most sandwich the alfajores with dulce de leche, but it's common to use regional marmalades as well. My absolute favorite is the cake-like alfajores...+READ
In Argentina, every region has its own "take" on the alfajor...some use cake-like cookies, some phyllo cookies, and others shortbread. Some bathe the alfajor in dark chocolate, white chocolate, meringue, powdered sugar, some roll them in coconut. Most sandwich the alfajores with dulce de leche, but it's common to use regional marmalades as well. My absolute favorite is the cake-like alfajores made by Havanna in Mar del Plata, a large beach-front city on the Rio de la Plata. You can buy these in the duty free shop in Buenos Aires and they come in three flavors: semi-sweet chocolate (our favorite), meringue covering (my mom's all-time favorite) and a nut flavor that is bathed in white chocolate. I make my own homemade versions for my children using our own homemade La Dorita Dulce de Leche. I have posted a recipe under La Dorita if anyone is interested. Below are some of the different types of regional alfajores in Argentina:
Alfajor Marplatense: In the coastal cities, the alfajores are typically cake-like soft cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and bathed in chocolate or a meringue coating. Yum!!! These are the ones my Grandparents would bring us when visiting from Argentina.
Alfajor Cordobés: In Córdoba the alfajores are filled with fruit marmalade-the most traditional being membrillo (quince jelly). These alfajores are typically light and have a glaze, they have little chocolate if any.
Alfajor Santafecino - In Santa Fé the alfajhor is typically made of at least three layers of phyllo dough type cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and finished off with a sugar glaze.
The best way to eat them is to sit down with a good cup of coffee, tea or yerba mate.-COLLAPSE
Recipe please. Those look seriously addictive!
jenemauer - I recently had a delicious one at Caffe Luxxe on Montana & 10th in Santa Monica
I love them, and would love to get a good recipe to make them at home.
They aren't hard to make. It's just a cornstarch based short dough with dulce de leche in the middle. Chocolate is optional. Traditionally, the sides of it can also get coconut.
Anyone know where I can sample these wonderous looking treats in the Los Angeles area?
White chocolate (good white chocolate, at least. And it does exist I used to hate the cloyingly sweet stuff that passes for white chocolate until I found Marcolini via The Nibble a while ago) opens up the palette to a variety of colors. However, when it comes to dark or milk, there's always the possibility of decorating with finely ground nuts, citrus zest, or other additions to the chocolate...+READ
White chocolate (good white chocolate, at least. And it does exist I used to hate the cloyingly sweet stuff that passes for white chocolate until I found Marcolini via The Nibble a while ago) opens up the palette to a variety of colors. However, when it comes to dark or milk, there's always the possibility of decorating with finely ground nuts, citrus zest, or other additions to the chocolate (that don't compete with the dulce de leche, of course). The possibilities aren't as narrow as they seem, though I too am not sure about next big thing territory.-COLLAPSE