Alfajores with Dulce de Leche

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Maria Noel-Resnick for sharing this classic food funny with us:

A farm boy accidentally overturned a wagon load of corn on the road. A
nearby farmer saw the accident and went over to have a look and found
the boy trying to right the tipped wagon. "Hey Willie," the farmer
said., "Forget your troubles for a spell and come have dinner with us.
I'll help you with that wagon after we eat."

"That's mighty nice of you, but Pa wouldn't like that," Willie replied.

"Aw, come on son. Take a break," the farmer insisted.

"Well, okay, " the boy finally agreed. "But Pa won't like it."

After a hearty meal, Willie thanked the farmer. "I feel a lot better
now, but I just know that Pa will be upset."

"Nonsense," the farmer said. "Where is your pa anyway?"

"Under the wagon."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Alfajores are a common treat through much of South America, and the
citizens of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile all claim them as
their own. It is an easy cookie to make, and you can enlist the help of
the younger cooks in the house during the final assembly.

Alfajores with Dulce de Leche

12 Tbs (180 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 Tbs (30 ml) cognac
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking powder
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Dulce de leche* (recipe below)
Powdered (confectioner's) sugar for dusting

* Dulce de leche is becoming more widely available in US supermarkets, and can be found in any good Hispanic market.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the remaining ingredients
except the dulce de leche and powdered sugar and mix well. Turn onto a
floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth. Let the dough
rest for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch
(5 mm) and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) rounds. Place on a greased cookie
sheet and bake in a preheated 300F (150C) oven for 20 minutes. When
cool, spread some dulce de leche on the bottom of half the cookies and
make a sandwich with the remaining cookies. Dust liberally with powdered sugar.
Makes about 12 cookie sandwiches.

Dulce de Leche

Note: The manufacturers of canned condensed milk warn against boiling
the cans due to the danger of explosion. Although thousands of home
cooks ignore this advice every day, you should be aware that the danger
exists. To reduce the possibility of a mishap if you decide to follow
this recipe, be sure that the can is totally immersed at all times,
adding more water to the pot as needed.

1 can (any size) sweetened condensed milk

Place the unopened can in a saucepan with enough water to cover the can
by at least 2 inches (5 cm). Bring the water to a boil over moderate
heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours, adding more water as
necessary. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before opening the can.
Received on Wed Jul 1 19:51:43 2009