Alfajores cookies (Alfajores)

To prepare this tasty, delicate and crumbly cookies, we need the following ingredients: wheat flour, corn starch, boiled condensed milk, butter, egg yolks, sugar, coconut chips, nuts, cognac, baking powder of dough and vanillin.

The sand dough for alfahores cookies can be made with both hands and with the help of a food processor (nozzle — a metal knife). At first, we need about an hour before preparing the dough to get butter (200 grams) from the refrigerator and leave it on the kitchen table so that it becomes soft. It happens that there is not enough time or you did not plan to prepare the sand dough, then you can hold it a little in a microwave oven in defrosting mode — 30-40 seconds. Add sugar and a pinch of vanillin to soft butter. By the way, if you wish, you can use not sugar -sand (150 grams), but sugar powder — in this case, the surface of the finished cookie will turn out to be smoother.

We pierce everything in the combine or rub with a fork (whisk) until the oil white. Then we add 3 egg yolks one at a time and mix everything until a homogeneous state.

By the end, pour a couple of tablespoons of cognac (or other aromatic alcohol) and break everything again. You will get a smooth and delicate creamy mass.

Now we must sift wheat flour to loosen it and get rid of lumps. We take away from the total weight (250 grams) a couple of tablespoons and so far we will leave it. Mix 200 grams of flour with 200 grams of corn starch and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Pour the dry mixture to the oil mass.

We break through everything (or rub out our hands) to make such an oily crumb. She is very soft and delicate.

To make it more convenient, we transfer everything to the work surface.

By quick movements, we simply collect these pieces of dough into the ball, clutching with our palms. We do not knead the dough for long so that it becomes soft, delicate and rather homogeneous. We still have about 50 grams of wheat flour. Here, see the consistency of the dough — if it is too wet and sticky, we still add. It is important not to score the sand dough with flour, otherwise it will crumble, and the finished cookies will be too dense (if you can form it at all). It took me exactly 250 grams of flour for so many products, but you may need more or less. For example, if the oily crumb does not want to gather in a ball, it crumbles, then you need to add more liquids. Just a little (no more than 1 tablespoon at a time) add cold water until the dough becomes delicate and soft. In general, the proportions are proven, so water should not be needed.

Divide the sand dough into 2 parts, wrap each in a food film or bag, crushing with your hand. We place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for an hour. By the way, such a dough can be done a day or two before you cook cookies — just store it in the refrigerator.

When the dough is cooled enough, it can be rolled out. Do not forget to turn on the oven to heat up (200 degrees). It is best to roll this sand dough between two sheets of parchment paper — then you do not need to additionally pour flour.

We roll out the sand dough into a layer with a thickness of not more than 5 millimeters.

You see, the paper leaves perfectly from the dough and does not stick. At the same time, flour does not need at all.

Now you need to cut round blanks from the dough with a diameter of 4-5 centimeters. To do this, you can use both special deforestation for the dough and a regular thin glass (I have 5.5 centimeters with a diameter). The dough does not stick to him at all. They cut out the circles, and the rest was collected in the ball and rolled again — there will be no scraps.

We transfer the blanks to the baking sheet covered with parchment. In total, I got 66 blanks that I baked in 4 doses. Before baking, it is advisable to cool these rounds right on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes so that oil does not flow during the baking. It turns out such a conveyor: they cut out circles, cooled and into the baking sheet. While they bake, cut out and cool the rest.

We bake sand cookies in a preheated oven at an average level of about 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees. There is a slight clarification: depending on the characteristics of each specific oven, the temperature and baking time may vary. As soon as the cookies brighten, and the lower side is slightly browned, you can safely remove them from the oven. Well, if you like rosy cookies, you can cook it much longer — just do not burn it.

As a result, for about an hour, you will have a sand foundations for the future cookies of Alfahores. Just let them cool.

A boiled condensed milk will serve as a filling for this sand cookies. Since the blanks are very tender, they need to work carefully with them so that they do not break. To do this, it is important to soften a boiled condensed milk so that it is easily distributed between the halves of the cookies. I recommend laying the filling with a confectionery bag (the nozzle in this case is completely optional) or an ordinary plastic bag (only dense). We transfer the condensed milk to the bag and knead it with our hands — thus, thanks to the warmth of our hands, it will become soft and easily passes through the hole.

We cut off the tip of the bag (package) and put part of the filling in the center of one half (from the bottom on which the cookie was baked).

We cover the second half, put the cookies on the palm of your hand and, gently pressing the second palm, press the blanks. If you press on the upper half with your fingers, a delicate cookie may not withstand pressure and break out. By the way, if you got sand blanks of not exactly the same size (this happens, we are not in production), I advise you to put them all on the table and choose every suitable pair. In addition, it is much more convenient to track so that all the cookies have enough fillings — just put the condensed milk for half the blanks. Just leave a tablespoon literally, then coating the sides of the cookies.

When all the halves find their pair and fill up with the filling, it remains to cover the sides of the cookies with the remains of boiled condensed milk. If it was still not enough (but it should!), Just gently press on those cookies where you think most of the fillings. The condensed milk will come out itself — use it. How to coat the sides of the cookies? If you want — a spoon or knife, but it’s most convenient for me just with a finger. You also wash your hands every few minutes when cooking?

The moment of decor. I propose to use coconut chips in which you need to roll the sides of the cookies.

You can also take nuts — I like this option even more. In my case, these are almonds, but absolutely any nuts that you love are perfect. Previously, be sure to fry them to a rosy state, and then cool and chop smaller.

Well, my wealth is ready. Here, however, not all of 33 cookies — while I ran into sprinkles, some people visited the kitchen and begged a few. I also took off the test … in general, 5 pieces, as it had not happened. For lovers of numbers: in total it turns out about 1 kg 200 grams of finished cookies. The weight of one little thing is 35-37 grams, while its calorie content will be in the range of 150-155 kcal.

Alfahores's sand cookies are truly fabulous pastries. A delicate, crumbly, aromatic dough that literally melts in the mouth, fragrant boiled condensed milk with caramel notes and crispy sprinkling. What else can a sweet tooth wish for? Irishka, thank you so much for this magical order — we were very tasty! By the way, thanks from our new New Year tree — she decided to pose with the cookies.