Ana’s Alfahores Recipe

A Peruvian cookie.

Difficulty: Average
Freezes Well
Yield: 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon dried lemon peel
• 1-3/4 cups butter, softened
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Remove wrapper from can of condensed milk and simmer, covered in water for 3 hours.
2. The water must be at a medium rolling boil.  If the water is not hot enough, the milk will not caramelize.  This step can be done ahead and the caramelized milk kept in the unopened can indefinitely.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Sift flour and sugar together.
5. Add lemon peel and blend in butter.  Mix well.
6. Roll out thinly and cut with cookie cutter into 2″ rounds.
7. Dot with a fork, making indentations to keep dough from rising too much.
8. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
9. When cookies are cool, fill by spreading caramelized milk between 2 rounds.
10. Dust tops with confectioners’ sugar.
11. Keep in airtight container.