Chocolate alfajores

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Beat the softened cookie butter (150 g) and sugar (70g) until creamy, taking a few minutes. Beat in the egg (1) and honey (25g) until combined.

   Uses 150 g butter, softened, for the cookies · 70g Sugar · 1 Egg · 25g Honey

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the flour, cornstarch (80g), cocoa (30g), baking soda (1 tsp) and baking powder (1 tsp) into the creamed mixture just until a dough forms. Wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes; overnight is also possible.

   Minimum dough chill; overnight optional · 30 minUses All the creamed cookie mixture · 170 g all-purpose flour · 80g Cornstarch · 30g Unsweetened Cocoa · 1 tsp baking soda · 1 tsp Baking Powder

3. 3

   Step 3: Take out the chilled dough and divide it equally. Keep one half refrigerated while working with the other.

   Uses All chilled dough

4. 4

   Step 4: Line two baking sheets with baking paper and heat the oven to 200°C.

5. 5

   Step 5: Roll the first half to about 2 mm thick and cut 5–6 cm rounds with a cutter or glass. Place the rounds on a lined sheet.

   Uses First half of the chilled dough

6. 6

   Step 6: Take out the second half, roll it to about 2 mm and cut rounds in the same way. Place these on the second lined sheet.

   Uses Second half of the chilled dough

7. 7

   Step 7: Check the rounds are similar in size and separated on the trays so they can later be paired. The batch makes roughly thirty to forty individual cookies, depending on their size.

   Uses All first-tray rounds · All second-tray rounds

8. 8

   Step 8: Bake one tray at a time at 200°C for eight to ten minutes per tray. Let every baked cookie cool completely before filling.

   Bake each tray of cookies · 10 minUses All cut rounds, baking one tray at a time

9. 9

   Step 9: Arrange the cooled cookies in pairs of matching size, with the flat underside of each lower cookie facing up.

   Uses All cooled baked cookies

10. 10

    Step 10: Spread about a teaspoon of dulce de leche onto each lower cookie and cover with its matching cookie. Use enough of the available filling for all pairs and keep any surplus dulce de leche separately.

    Uses All paired cookies · Ready-made dulce de leche, about 1 tsp per sandwich

11. 11

    Step 11: Chop the semisweet chocolate (500 g). Wash and finely zest the orange, avoiding its white pith. Melt the chopped chocolate gently with the separate coating butter (100 g) and orange zest over low heat, stirring until smooth.

    Uses 500 g semisweet chocolate for coating · 100 g butter for the chocolate coating · Zest of one orange

12. 12

    Step 12: Dip each filled sandwich into the warm chocolate coating. Set them on baking paper and let the coating firm fully before serving; retain any unused coating separately.

    Uses All filled sandwich cookies · The melted chocolate-butter-orange coating