From Argentina With Love

Alfajores-Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookie

An alfajor is two crisp buttery cookies held in a sandwich with (what else?) dulce de leche smeared in between.  They come in many costumes-dipped in chocolate, dipped in a white sugar coating, dusted in powdered sugar (like a fairy tale dessert, those are called alfajores de nieve-snowy alfajores), rolled in chopped nuts, (almonds or peanuts) or rolled in shredded coconut, so that all along the edges of the cookie, little bits of nuts or coconut cling to the dulce de leche that oozes out from between the two cookies.  Each way they are prepared just adds to how luscious they are-and Argentineans know it!  They eat alfajores like they have to get rid of them-with breakfast, as a snack, in the afternoon with piping hot espresso, or for dessert...no time is a bad time to eat an alfajor.

On my first date with Guillermo, we met at a downtown Denver bar for happy hour.  (Our second date was much more romantic, but that's a story for another day!)  In a little brown paper bag, I brought him the last two of my treasured Havanna alfajores (Havanna is a famous Argentinean cafe and alfajor-maker) that a friend brought me from a recent trip.  I suppose then it was obvious then that I already really liked this guy-otherwise, why would I ever part with such a treasure?

Havanna alfajores come individually wrapped in gold or silver foil (gold foil for chocolate dipped, silver foil for white dipped) which makes the recipient of said alfajores feel like a character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory every time they open one-filled with hope and anticipation of the glories about to be beheld.  Plus, they come in a fancy box-making this dessert what it is-a very special treat.

Guillermo was thrilled when he opened the bag!  It had been a long time since he had seen anything from his home country and like most Argentineans, he loves alfajores.  Well, the hours passed, and we were so absorbed in conversation that he forgot the cookies when we left.  Some waiter at the bar likely tossed them in the trash, but maybe he decided to eat them...I've often wondered about the fate of those poor cookies!  Little did I know then that this type of forgetfulness is an annoying habit of Guillermo's-he is a scientist after-all, I call it the 'absent-minded scientist syndrome'.  Oh, but the things we forgive for love! 

I don't think he's probably had an alfajor in a really long time-maybe even since that first date-so I decided to surprise him with a batch, just to remind him.  (And of course, I had to share them with you!)  They really are as good as they look.  You can serve them any way you like-and, for that matter, any time you like, too!

To see more about the history of the alfajor, see the article I wrote for Argentina's Travel Guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receta para Alfajores

Recipe for Alfajores (Carmel Sandwich Cookies)

This recipe for alfajores is adapted from the book, Argentina Cooks! by Shirley Lomax Brooks

1 3/4 cups flour

1/8 teapoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 pound butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe for dulce de leche (or one jar of it)

1 cup grated and sweetened coconut (optional)

* Rebecca's note:  I cannot stress enough the importance of quality butter in this recipe-it will make a big differnce in the flavor of the cookie.

Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in a bowl.  Cut the butter in with two knives, then mix by hand until well incorporated.  Work in the lemon zest and then mix in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Shape the dough into 2 balls and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  On a floured work surface, roll out each ball of dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch.  Cut into 2-inch rounds and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until done.  The cookies will be dry but not brown. 

When the cookies are cool, spread a spoonful of dulce de leche in one cookie and top it with another.  Press together gently and roollthe seam of each snadwiched cookie in grated coconut. 

Dulce de Leche Gelato-Helado de Dulce de Leche

(Does gelato like this really even need an introduction?)

Perhaps you've heard that Argentinians speak Spanish with an Italian accent-that's true, and they're also loud and passionate (even when discussing something unimportant), and gesture a lot.  But Argentineans also eat with an Italian accent! 

In Argentina, helado (ice cream) is more like Italy's gelato-softer and creamier than American ice cream, and with typical flavors like chocolate hazelnut, dulce de leche, and sambayon (which is the Spanish spelling of zabaione) custard-flavored gelato typically served with fruit.  Some of the more uncommon flavors include malbec (made from the wine), watermelon, or coconut.  Truly, it's almost divine.

I had the luck of finding what I personally believe might just be the best helado in Argentina on our last trip.  (Of course, I haven't had the chance to do a formal evaluation, touring all the heladerias in Argentina...yet.)

I felt like Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Eat, Pray, Love in which she samples the gelato of one particular shop several times in one day just to make sure it's as good as she thinks it is.  I'm here to say: it is-I know because I did the same thing!

Like the Italians in Gilbert's book, Argentinians are "...masters at the beauty of doing nothing"  (And that's a compliment, by the way.  As she goes on to say, Americans are list-makers, multitaskers, work too hard and burn ourselves out-we have a hard time slowing down, relaxing (and giving ourselves permission to relax!)  In Argentina, relaxing is part of life.  They work hard, but also enjoy taking their kids out for ice cream on a Friday night, sitting there and chatting for a couple of hours with friends and letting the kids entertain themselves.  You know, relaxing.

Oh, and that heladeria...it really is the best-Rafael Rodriguez and his family have been making helado in Argentina for three generations.  I was lucky enough to see how the ice cream is made (in small batches daily) and how they have elevated making helado  to a true art form.

I promise to write all about that on a day very soon, but today, you get this delicious recipe inspired by my visit to his shop-the ideal way to celebrate summer being around the corner.  I promise it won't disappoint-and it's very quick and easy.

                                   Receta para Helado de Dulce de Leche

                                       Recipe for Dulce de Leche Gelato

For this recipe, there's the gelato base, and then there's dulce de leche, which is just folded into the finished gelato or drizzled over the top (like in the picture).

Gelato base:

3 cups milk

1 and 1/2 cup heavy cream

4 eggs,  yolks only

1/2 cup vanilla sugar* if available

1/2 cup sugar

In a saucepan, mix the milk and cream and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges.  Remove from heat.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugars together until the sugars are incorporated and the mixture is frothy.  Slowly add the warm milk to the sugar mixture, whisking continuously.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat and stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon.  If the egg starts to get lumpy-the heat is too hot!  Remove from heat immediately.

Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or sieve into a bowl.  Cover and put in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer to a sealed container and freeze until firm-if it gets too hard, bring it down to the fridge to soften.

To add the dulce de leche, put one layer (several scoops) of the gelato base and a layer of dulce de leche on top.  Put another layer of of the gelato base and mix together by making a figure 8 pattern with a spatula.  Alternatively, drizzle the dulce de leche over the top.  For my previous post on dulce de leche, click here.

*Vanilla sugar is sugar (about 4 cups) that has had a whole vanilla bean immersed in it for two to three weeks.  (in a sealed container) The sugar then takes on a vanilla flavor, and can be used for many desserts.

Pasta Frola-Shortbread with Quince Jelly Filling

"La Vida No Es una Pasta Frola"

-Alba Lampon, Contemporary Argentinean Sociologist

If there was ever a quote to sum up the Argentinean perspective, this would be it.  Loosely translated, it means "Life is not a piece of cake."   I think anyone would agree with that statement-it's what we do with it that matters.

Americans, eternal optimists as we are, grow up being taught that even when things are looking dismal, we should put our best face forward and act as if nothing is wrong.  We've all heard:  everything happens for a reason, there's a silver lining, life's a bowl of cherries...we keep smiling through the hard times, even with clenched  teeth.  The upside to this attitude-we believe in the possibility of our dreams, and that anything can happen.  In many instances this is true!

Argentineans, in contrast, tend to see the wine glass as half empty-life has socked them many hardships, and they've lived to tell about it.  This makes many Argentineans expert complainers-politics, the economy, money (the lack of it) the job market-Argentina is ripe fodder for a pessimist.  To say it another way, they are realists.  They don't expect things to be perfect, because that's just not the way life is.  It's hard, and that's no secret.

On that note, Argentineans are also experts at enjoying life.  They eat long lunches drinking wine and savoring their food, they take even longer naps, and surround themselves with family and friends.  Argentineans slow down, they take it all in.  No sense of urgency to get things done or  to accomplish a task,  as there is here  in the US.  "It" gets done when it gets done, and other things (like the aforementioned meals, naps and family) take priority.

One of the things that makes life worth living for an Argentinean is food.  Delicious, soul-satisfying food, eaten while taking a nice long while to taste it.  I say this from the viewpoint of someone who will admit to having scarfed down food purchased at a drive thru window while driving maniacally to get something done.  Life may not be a pasta frola, so with all the arrows it shoots our way, isn't it better to slow down and enjoy?!

                                              

                                                Receta por Pasta Frola (de Florencia)

                                             Recipe for Pasta Frola (from Florencia)

Pasta Frola is, like many classic Argentinean recipes, Italian in origin.  In Italy, the short-bread like dough (pasta frolla) is used in a variety of cakes and cookies; in Argentina it refers specifically to a cake with this crust, filled with quince jam or quince paste.  (It can also be made using sweet-potato jam or your jam of choice.)  Pasta Frola can be found in upscale bakeries and in everyone's mother's kitchen.  It's universal, and part of it's beauty is its absolute simplicity.  It's easy and fast, made with ingredients on hand at any time.  Pardon the pun, but it's a piece of cake to make.  (This one is my mother-in-law's recipe.)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 egg

2-3 tablespoons of milk

quince paste or quince jam (or the jam of your choice)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and flour your pan-this recipe makes enough for a small square or rectangular pan, though the photos show small ramekins, which is also fine. 

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.  Cut the butter in, mixing between your fingers to incorporate the flour mixture and the butter.  Keep mixing until it's uniform and resembles coarse sand.

Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix together until you get a ball of dough that is uniform.  It should not be too dry (crumbling apart) and should not be sticky.

Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. The dough should be about half an inch think.  Cut the dough and put it in to the pan.  It should cover the bottom and go up on the sides only a little bit.  Pat the dough down around the edges with the back of your fingers. 

Take a few spoonfuls of quince jam and spread it over the dough in the pan.  I have found that it's easier to mash the jam in a bowl with a fork so that it's easier to spread.  Also, if using quince paste, you may need to add some warm water to soften the paste texture. 

Roll out the dough scraps and cut into strips with a pastry cutter or knife.  Lay across the top of the jam and dough in a lattice (criss-cross) pattern.

Pop into the oven for a very short time-only about 20 minutes.  It should be slightly browned on the top. 

Torta Mojada-Wet Cake

I'll admit that 'wet cake' sounds really unappealing, even a little gross.  It conjures up possible synonyms like 'mushy cake', or 'soggy cake,' which torta mojada most certainly is not.   Instead, it's divine.  As in, there-is-a-God-and-he-wants-you-to-eat-this-cake divine, as in divine intervention divine.  'Wet Cake' doesn't do this cake justice-it's just lost in translation.

In Argentina, babies are often called 'divine'-people coo over them saying 'Es un divino!  Absolutamente divino!'  And so it's fitting that this divine cake is what I made for our son, Esteban's first birthday.  (Who is indeed, divine!)

Wet cake is a regular cake, (I used chocolate, but any cake is fine) lightly soaked with simple syrup to give it an extra moistness and sweetness.  It almost melts in your mouth.  Argentinos  commonly use (rather than frosting) jam , fresh fruit and whipped cream, or dulce de leche between the layers of the cake.  The combination of the flavors is like no other cake you've ever tried, and it will send your taste buds  straight to heaven.

There are a variety of flavor combinations you can try for the filling between the layers (on this cake I did one layer of dulce de leche and another of strawberry jam) try: dulce de leche, fresh sliced fruit like banana, strawberries, peaches, apricots, stirred into whipped cream (crema chantilli), or your favorite jam (raspberry, strawberry, or peach would all be good).

For the wet cake technique, you can use simple syrup, or you can add the flavored liqueur (for adults only!) of your choice:  almond liqueur, Frangelico, Rum, Kahlua or Grand Marnier would all be good options.  (to taste-a couple of tablespoons should be plenty)  A spoonful of instant coffee or some espresso would also be great.

Here's a video (shameless bragging, I know!) of my son eating his very first piece of chocolate cake.

                                                              Receta por Torta Mojada

                                                                Recipe for 'Wet Cake'

For the cake, you can cheat like I did and use a cake from the box.  You can also use one of your own favorite cake recipes, or this one, for All Purpose Chocolate Cake, from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat two 8-or9-inch round cake pans or one 9 by 13-inch cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, cocoa, instant espresso, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes/  Beat in the eggs, one at a time until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture.  Beat in half of the milk.  Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.

Give the batter a final stir using a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top.  Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes for round cake pans, 25-30 minutes for the sheet cake, rotating the pans halfway through.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Run a paring knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen, then flip the cakes upright, discard the parchment, and let cool completely before frosting, 1 to 2 hours.

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water heated in a sauce pan over medium-high heat just until boiling, and the sugar has dissolved.  At this point, any other additional flavorings can be added.  This amount is more than enough for one wet cake.

Wet Cake

The technique to make wet cake is this:  Spoon the simple syrup over the cooled cake layers before frosting.  you can make a 2 layer or a 4 layer cake.  For example, a four-layer cake needs 2 round cakes.  Each of the two cakes is carefully cut in half, (so you have four approximately one-inch thick cake rounds) and the top layer removed.  The first (bottom layer) is put on to the cake plate.  The simple syrup is spooned a little at a time, covering that layer.  Then the filling of choice (jam, fruit and cream, or dulce de leche) is carefully spread on.  The top half of that cake is then set on top, the simple syrup is spooned on, followed by the filling.  Repeat with the top two layers. 

After assembling your cake, frost with the frosting of your choice.

Not Your Grandma's Palmeritas

Guillermo couldn't contain the excitement in his voice when he called his friend Walter and proclaimed:  "Che!  Loco!  Oh my God!  You're never going to believe what Rebe made!! It's like grandma's house over here!"

Oh, if only everything I cooked received such a reaction. 

The thing he was so excited about were palmeritas, those flaky, sweet, ear-shaped cookies that are made out of puff pastry. 

When Guillermo was  a boy, his father took over the family farm.  They lived far out of town, and only moved closer years later so that the boys could attend high school. 

Each month, his grandmother (with whom they lived) would take Guillermo and his brother, Marcos, into town with her to get her pension money from the bank, and she would treat them to a palmerita  at a local bakery.  Like most farm wives, she was a spend-thrift type of woman, and didn't waste her money on useless things.  She didn't generally buy the boys anything, but the one thing they could look forward to on that once monthly outing was a palmerita after going to the bank.  (I guess everyone, like Proust, has their personal Madeleine.)

I was surprised to find out how easy these cookies are to make-using only pre-made puff pastry and sugar! (So don't go getting all impressed, here!)

I got this recipe from Ina Garten's Cookbook, Barefoot In Paris. 

                                                          

                                                                       Recipe for Palmeritas

2 sheets Pepperidge farm Puff Pastry (left to defrost overnight in the refrigerator so it's pliable but cold)

2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

Combine the sugar and the kosher salt.  Pour 1 cup of the sugar on a flat surface such as a wooden board or a marble slab.  Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry.  This is not about sprinkling, this is about an even covering of sugar. 

With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13 inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on the top and bottom.  Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle of the dough.  Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough.  Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book.  You will have six layers. 

Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on  baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above.  (There will be quite a bit of sugar left on the board.)  Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment. 

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side.  Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Dulce de Tomate- Sweet Tomato Jam

Argentineans have different taste buds than Americans do.  I'm not making this up.  They take everyday ingredients and combine them in a way that just seems, well...wierd to most Americans.  Case in point-Dulce de Tomate -Tomato Jam.  The first time I heard about a tomato based jam, I thought I had misunderstood the person-a sweet jelly?  Made from tomatoes?  Like, for breakfast?  And then I  thought, but what does it taste like?  V-8 on toast? I couldn't even imagine.

Dulce de Tomate is classic Argentinean comfort food, known by all, loved by most, and one of those things everyone's mom has a recipe for.  As adults, Argentineans sigh wistfully at the thought of Dulce de Tomate, whisked back to those childhood days of Tomato Jam on toasted bread.

My mother-in-law  encouraged me to smuggle a jar of it back home on my last trip there, (which I gratefully did) so I could bring a jar of home made comfort to my husband .  And I was curious to try this notorious Tomato Jam for myself. 

Dulce de Tomate is not savory, as tomato sauce is, but sweet, as any other jam, but with a hint of tomato.  (Maybe it's the pound and a half of sugar that takes the edge off ...) All sarcasm aside, I can see this being really great on crackers or toast with a cheese course, accompanied by a nice dry Cava or Persecco.  It 'd be something to balance out the sharpness of the harder cheeses, but not sweet enough to throw your palate off completely.

                                 Florencia's Dulce de Tomate (Tomato Jam) Recipe

This recipe is my mother in law's.  It's the middle of the harvest season there, and she just sent me a series of photos of the stages of making Dulce de Tomate, so stay tuned!  This recipe can be scaled down so that it makes a few jars only, which can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week.  If you have the tools to can the jam so that the jars are properly sealed,  this makes one small batch.

6-7  lbs. (3 kilos) fresh tomatoes

6 cups  (1 and 1/2 kilos) sugar

2 cups (1/2 liter) water

Wash the tomatoes and bring a large pot of water to a boil.  When the water is boiling, submerge the tomatoes for a few seconds to scald them and remove to a bowl of cold water to stop the tomaotes from cooking.  Peel them, cut in half and remove seeds.  Weigh them-for every 6 pounds of tomato pulp, you'll need 6 cups sugar and 2 cups water.

Put the water and sugar in a pot on the stove top.  Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved in the water, making a syrup.  Bring the syrup to a boil, add the 6 lbs. tomatoes, and cook for 15-20 minutes, lowering the heat to a simmer. Be sure to watch the pot so that it doesn't boil over-it gets foamy!  The foam can be skimmed off the top.  After 20 minutes, turn the stove off and let the mixture sit for a few hours.

After a few hours, re-heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, taking care that it doesn't stick or burn.  Bring it to a boil,  then lower the heat and let cook for 1-2 hours, stirring periodically.  After this time, the tomatoes should have a shininess and transparent look.  Stir and taste for sugar, adding more if necessary for your taste.  Let cook a little bit and then put into jars or follow the canning procedure for your canning set according to manufacturer's instructions.

Dulce de Leche-Argentina's Legendary Dessert

The secret is out! For the past few years, Dulce de Leche --  a sticky, sweet, caramelized milk-and-sugar sauce found in almost every pantry in Argentina-- has been swirling its way around the US, from Haagen Dazs ice cream, to Yoplait yogurt, to Starbucks Frappuccinos.

According to legend, Dulce de Leche may have been invented by Napoleon’s soldiers burning milk and sugar while in the field, or by a housekeeper who forgot the milk on the stove.  Whatever the origin, the flavor is legendary.  Rich, milky, smooth, it can be used as filling in facturas (pastries), to drizzle over ice cream or fruit for dessert, on toast or waffles for breakfast, or as the filling between the layers of a layer cake.  Or, as my three-year-old nephew prefers it, spooned straight out of the container. Yum.

Most people now buy Dulce de Leche , preferring the convenience of a packaged product.  Making Dulce de Leche is not difficult, but it is time-consuming; the mixture takes hours on the stovetop to reach the right consistency, but all the chef has to do is give it a stir now and again.

You’ll love having Dulce de Leche in your own pantry, just like my husband’s family does in Argentina. It’s easy and fun to make your own. Really.  Just try it. 

Dulce de Leche Recipe

There are a few ways to make Dulce de Leche, and they all give you the same basic result.  I think it’s just good to know how to make from scratch in case of emergency-like when your local market runs out, or some other natural disaster. I’ve declined to include one way to make Dulce de Leche, which is boiling the can of sweetened condensed milk directly and which runs the risk of exploding. 

Recipe #1

4 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add all other ingredients, being sure to stir the sugar with a whisk until it’s completely dissolved.  (Otherwise, your Dulce de Leche will have a gritty consistency-not so good.) Cook on medium low until it turns into caramel, about 2-3 hours.  It should have a rich tan or brown color and smooth texture when done.  Consistency is a matter of taste-some like theirs runnier than others, but test it by spooning some onto the center of a plate.  If it stays without running and making a puddle, it’s ready.

Recipe #2- from www.cdkitchen.com

Fill the bottom of a double boiler halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium for an active simmer. Pour a 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk in the top of the double boiler and set it over the simmering water. Don't cover. Every 45 minutes, check the water level and give the milk a stir. Replenish the simmering water with hot water as needed. When the milk is as thick as pudding and is a rich, dark caramel color, 2 1/2 to 2 hours, remove from heat, cool thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate or use immediately.