Alfajores from RUNA Peruvian Cuisine in Red Bank

By
Melissa Beveridge
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Chef Marita Lynn from RUNA Peruvian Cuisine, Red Bank, shared her recipe for alfajores with one very lucky Melissa Beveridge. Make and enjoy these for Christmas, New Year’s, or just for you!

Alfajores 

Recipe yields 50 alfajores, serves about 6

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¾ cup butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup Manjar blanco (a.k.a. dulce de leche)*

Cookie preparation:
1. In a bowl, mix together, the flour, butter and sugar. Once mixed, use your hands to create a uniform dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F.
3. On a floured surface, making sure to flour your roller, roll the dough to ½- inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out alfajores and place on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes
5. Let the Alfajores cool on a wire rack.
6. Fill the Alfajores with dulce de leche, sandwich style.
7. Dust with powdered sugar.

*Manjar Blanco/dulce de leche can be bought jarred or in a can. If you’d prefer to make your own, here’s what you need to do:

Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:
Combine evaporated milk and condensed milk in a pan with cinnamon stick and simmer for two hours until the color changes and takes on a thick consistency.