Dulce de leche sandwich cookies~ Hello again with Alfajores

Where do I start? Perhaps more pertinent is how do I start? The picture right up top, maybe? Does that work? It should because that would lead me to the weather, which, in effect, will carry on to where I went for nearly two, no, three months.

So. These are cookies. Alfajores. Awesome sweet sandwiches with crammed insides of luscious dulce de leche. Two cookies are needed to eat it as one. And you probably won't stop with just that one. These beauties come from Latin America, are practically the national food of Argentina and have numerous derivations from all parts of the Spanish speaking world. Here is where I was smitten. It was an absolute glorious shout to my soul, yes, I was to make these.

Our season of Autumn is well on its way to being over, and we really have no show of flametouched trees or crunchyleafed sidewalks here in these Southwest reaches of the U.S.. No, we scene it up by creating our own Fall colors. Brilliant rusts, far- out burgundies, burnt siennas come easy with the help of compartmentalized Wilton jars, the right throwin of brights for a blah pre-winter existence. So, this  now declared my new favorite cookie has thematically been dredged in color and fanciful texture. And even if the Autumnal spell of time is almost over, I can customize my delicate alpha-hoar-ay to a countless whereafter, whenafter, whatever it may be.

So where did the season I missed a good two thirds of go? Why so long a break in my food banterings? Was I lost? No. Did you miss me? I hope so.

There leads me to my next point in task. Explaining "what the(?),where the(?)"after buttermilk and cheddar biscuits?

Cut to the short. It was lightning quick- the decision to go on a trip, the vacation that was long past, and maddeningly overdue. A chunk of The Sojourn was spent on the wee Southern tip of India, Kerala, homeland of ours, which some call God's own country. Huh? Yes, I've sung the ballad of the native, once-upon- a- time habitat of mine and JZ's on numerous pages. Look through and maybe you'll find something; here, here ,here and maybe even here.

Now what do you think our multi-month trip involved?

Spot on you are. It did involve a plane (s).

About 400 lbs of bags.

Fun with family.

Eating. 

 Kissing elephants.

Shopping. *SMILE. SMILE*

More eating.

Clanning with those siblings in Dubai. How does it go(?)...." a family that eats together..."

Viewing big buildings.

To back again. God's own country and commerce beckon. I do my part to rightfully answer.

Saying goodbye without squeezing in some more? Not done. Not ever.

And there you go. This my people is what led to a major PTMM (post-trip-mind-muddle). My "maybe tomorrow"stance that led to a followup month of procrastinating funk.

Wow, that was totally not what this post was supposed to be about, right? I know, the audacity, you say, practically outlined a whole month and half's journey from a not-enough-pixel phone camera when all you wanted was a recipe.

OK, ok, now we backtrack to our real subject. Alfajores, the cookie that was my baking therapy, my mind projecting wonderment, after such a long time, as to their delightful sandwiched loveliness, even without the adornments. Brilliant be these, with the soft crumble of shortbread due mostly to a regimented amount of cornstarch thrown into the dry mixings. And yes, they are wonderful solo, but, why even, when you know a can of dulce is as effortless to make than possibly to buy.

Further a pair with caramel glue on the edges, and you have the next  level of jawdropping delicious. Sided with coconut, nuts or colorful others, there it takes on an ambitious, beyond scale confection. 

I want to really harp on the fact that these are so easy to put together, starting with a very forgiving dough, and the simplest filling ever. Your greatest feat, however, will be in prying off the fiending hands that have already decided the destiny of your newly assembled cookie.

( Cookie recipe adapted from here)

Ingredients:

• 1 c cornstarch
• ¾ c all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp grated lemon zest
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
• ⅓ c sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp brandy
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• *1 c dulce de leche
• Coconut, crushed nuts, shaved chocolate or anything you desire for toppings

Method:

• In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest. Combine; set aside.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted and mix on medium speed, until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
• Mix in the egg yolks one at a time, then brandy, and vanilla. Combine well.
• Reduce speed to low, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated with no visible lumps.
• Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into disk, and wrap it tightly. Place in the refrigerator until firm, about an hour
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Alternatively you could roll dough between 2 sheets of parchment.
• Using a 2" cookie cutter, stamp out  app 24-26 circles.
• Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, at least ½" apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are firm and pale golden on the bottom, about 10-12 minutes. Take out of oven, wait 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Flip cookies upside down and fill one cookie with about 2 tsp of the dulce de leche. Place a second cookie on top and press. 
• To decorate outsides, spread a thin layer of dulce on the outsides of cookie sandwiches and roll in desired topping. We really loved the *toasted coconut.

Notes~ To toast coconut: Place coconut flakes in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flakes are golden brown. Beware- sweetened will brown faster.

If in oven- preheat to 325° F, spread flakes on baking sheet in single layer. After a couple of minutes, take out and stir. Return and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on it the whole time.

*Ahh dulce de leche! You can either buy a can or make the caramel luscious all on your own. See for yourself how easy it is~http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Dulce-De-Leche

Just if... I had more limbs and the hands that were helping weren't eating faster than they were actually helping, I would've made hundreds of these Pretties, all assembled side by side. Then. Slowly. One by one.

Thank you all... you encouragers, helpful commenters, senders of inspiring messages and friendly inboxers on FB. Not to mention, you, silent readers, thanks for being such an accommodating audience- it was wonderful to see that readership did not die, though I was shamefully lax. I am very grateful for being able to write and finish this particular task, I know how long it had been edging on my mind. My soul sings, for great is My Enabler and His grace is sufficient. He busted me out of my mind/writer/blogger/whateveryouwannacallit funk, and transmitted my thoughts to this here screen. God is good. All the time.  

So we''ll meet again. And soon this time.

Why not ? One for the road and all alone :-)

******

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4 (KJV)

Buttermilk and cheddar biscuits

I have long been enchanted with Food TV and those amazing talented chefs, many possessing wizard, often alien capabilities. Forever, their knife skills, flaming grills, and beautifully propped "kitchens" had me pining, begging for more ; ahh those shameless memorable moments, even hours, bottom parked in front of channel 110. So, now I just say it. That this morning was no different. It started when Ina Garten went all sneaky on me and in her barefoot way, invited her breakfast party into my living room. The audacity! How dare she? More so, how dare I resist? ( honestly, how, can I be so weak?) 

On she went, convincing me that my breakfast making mastery needed much improvement. and of course didn't quite match up to the hooplah -hurrah of the Contessa's. There I was, mesmerised and in hallucinogenic straits, going from pantry to refrigerator, scavenging for ingredients. It was the second item on her day's special that had my brain tripping. After quieting the restless stirring in me, time being well past noon, I decided to make my breakfast bash happen, starting and starring those jawdroppingly good buttermilk cheddar biscuits.

Before my rant begins, a note to all health/ diet purists, those condemners of fat,  there is an almost half pound of butter, which Ina has you cube- cut chilled, like in pie dough style. This much needed element in turn is what brings on the resulting indulgence, as flaky a biscuit as you could dream up in your wildest. Further, those fatcubes carouse with a plentiful amount of grated cheddar. It is this same shameless cavorting that makes the whole show worthy, perhaps one with few regrets and nothing that a few hours at the gym can't solve. 

Adding to an even more flaky outcome is the approach of the half cup of buttermilk (again cold) mixed into the butterspeckled dough. The moisture from these two alone, once dough hits heat will lift the surrounding parts to bring on layers of soft, rich, fluff-flakiness, mimicking an outcome similar to that of rank pastry.

Hit me over the head if I forget to mention the warm, fragrant awesomeness that comes toward, becoming the air you breathe, and breaking into every crevice of your home. This alone is reason that buttermilk cheddar biscuits are something you should not ever pass up. 

Finally, you could cut the dough into round cookie cutter shapes, but if desiring the rustic homestyle look, cut with knife into whatever shape your whim so desires.

This is easy, people. I goad you forward on, embrace your inner contessa and ye bake these utterperfect, soon favorite biscuits. 

Ingredients:
(adapted from Ina Garten's buttermilk cheddar biscuits)

• 2 c all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 tbsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• ½ c cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 cold extra-large egg
• 1 c grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• sea salt, optional ( this I omitted)
• ½ c grated cheddar

 Baked and browned. Maybe try breakfast for dinner tonight?

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Sift 2 cups flour with baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer. 
• On slow speed mix in cold butter cubes and allow mixture to resemble coarse crumbs, the size of peas.
• Combine buttermilk and eggs in a small bowl. Add into the flour/butter mixture. Beat again on low speed until just moistened.
• Mix cheddar with a small handful of extra flour. Add cheese to the dough. Mix all until roughly combined.
• Take out and on floured surface, knead the dough about 6-7 times.
• Roll dough out to a 10" 5" rectangle.
• Divide and cut dough making eight smaller rectangles or use a 3' cookie cutter. (I made even smaller ones and got 12 total.)
• Place biscuits on lined baking tray. Brush tops with egg wash.
• Top with sea salt and cheddar if desired.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until biscuits are cooked and tops browned.
• Serve warm.

And a week before school begins, my helper hands leave their cutting skills behind to master classwork. Not as much fun according to the two. Don't tell them I agree.

Polished and shiny. That's what good eggwash does.

Pretty, pretty props and delicious condiments illustrate just how far out a show it can be.

Last year, this time : why not have some pizza?

******

“... Do not be afraid.

    I am your shield, your very great reward." (Genesis 15:1)

These are the words the Lord spoke to Abram/Abraham. We are all Abraham. God is our shield, always in control and His promises forever hold true.