Alfajores!

Hello again!  This is somewhat of a continuation of my last post about Dulce de Leche.  Alfajores aren't easy to find (at least here in Canada) unless you go to a specialty store.  So for those of you that haven't had the chance to try them, they are essentially two shortbread cookies with Dulce de Leche in between them and lined with coconut.  Sometimes you can get them chocolate dipped - which is my personal favourite.  For this post however, well do it the original way with no chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 tsp lemon zest
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dulce de leche
1 cup grated coconut

Method:

Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in a bowl.  Cut in and combine the butter and lemon zest.  Next mix in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Once combined, place dough in the fridge for 2 hour.

Preheat your oven to 325F.  On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using a small glass or other mold, cut out 2 inch diameter circles.  Transfer them to a wax papered baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until they look done.  They should not be brown, but should be dry.  I don't like mine to be too hard, so I take them out a bit earlier.

Once the cookies are cool, spread about a 1/4 inch thick layer of dulce de leche on one cookie and top with another.  Then you can roll the edges in the coconut.

And your done!  I hope you enjoy these, they are not everyones favourite, but I like them!