2019-09-01_Food_Heaven

BISCUIT HEAVEN

WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM SEPTEMBER baking heaven 49

Snowy chocolate

cookies

MAKES 12
250g (9oz) dark chocolate, broken
into pieces
115g (4oz) plain flour
30g (1oz) unsweetened cocoa
powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room
temperature
55g (2oz) light brown sugar
2 large free-range eggs, at room
temperature

Alfajores

Shortbread caramel
sandwich cookies

MAKES ABOUT 25

175g (6oz) plain flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
105g (3¾oz) cornflour
60g (2oz) icing sugar, plus more for
dusting
165g (6oz) butter, at room
temperature
2 large free-range egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
385g (13½oz) tin of dulce de leche

1 Put the flour, salt and cornflour in a
medium bowl. Whisk to combine and
set aside.
2 Combine the icing sugar and butter in
the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle
attachment. Mix on a medium speed
until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix just
until incorporated.

50g (2oz) granulated sugar

65g (2oz) icing sugar

1 Place the chocolate in a saucepan on

a medium heat and stir constantly until

fully melted. Set aside to cool.

2 Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and

salt together and set aside. Combine the

butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar

together in a stand mixer and beat until

fluffy, about 3 minutes (you can beat by

hand, but be sure to combine until very

fluffy). Add the eggs, one by one, while

the mixer runs on a low speed, then add

the melted chocolate.

3 Once combined, slowly add the flour

mix ture, making sure to combine fully,

but not to overmix. Wrap the dough in

clingfilm and chill it for at least an hour

(you can keep it in the fridge for up to

24 hours like this).

4 Once the dough has cooled, preheat

the oven to 18 0 °C /Gas Mark 4. Line a

baking sheet with parchment paper or

spray with non-stick cooking spray.

5 Roll the dough into balls, then lightly

roll the balls in the icing sugar until they

are completely coated. Place the dough

balls on the prepared baking sheet,

leaving at least an inch between each

one. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until

they have cooked but are still a little

soft, then remove them from the oven;

they will seem underdone, but they will

firm up as they cool. Cool for at least

15 minutes before serving.

TIP These cookies need to be handled

with care because they are supposed to

be on the softer side. They can be

stored for up to 2 days in an air tight

container, or frozen for up to 2 months,

just make sure you defrost in the fridge

for a day before making them.

3 On a low speed, slowly add the flour

mixture. Once it’s all been added, mix

until it is just incorporated and no white

pockets remain.

4 Divide the dough in half and roll each

piece into a log about 4cm (1½in) thick.

Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate until

firm, at least 2 hours.

5 While the dough is chilling, move the

oven rack to the middle, preheat the

oven to 180 ̊C/Gas Mark 4 and line three

baking sheets with parchment paper.

6 Once the dough is firm, remove from

the refrigerator and remove the

clingfilm. Slice into 6mm (¼in) thick

rounds. Place the rounds on the

prepared sheet pans, leaving 2-2½cm

(¾-1in) of space between the cookies.

Bake until firm and pale golden on the

bottom, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer

to a wire rack to cool completely.

7 Once the cookies are completely

cool, flip half of them over. C arefully

spread 2 tsp of the dulce de leche on

each flipped cookie. Top with a plain

cookie and gently press to create a

sandwich. Dust with icing sugar just

before serving.

Recipe taken from

We Are La Cocina:

Recipes in Pursuit of

the American Dream

by Caleb Zigas

and Leticia Landa,

published by

Chronicle Books

(£21.99).

Photography by

Eric Wolfinger.

Recipe taken with

permission from

BRING IT! © 2018 by

Ali Rosen, published

by Running Press.