There was a time when I was obsessed with dulce de leche-filled pastries.
The single reason that mania ended is because I moved away from the bakery named after the ingredient.
From the moment you taste them, youll be a lifer.
What are alfajores?
How do you make lazy alfajores?
Or you could do it the lazy way.
Both paths lead to real alfajores.
I fully support you in making these completely from scratch.
However, I eat food like The Beast eats porridge in front of Belle.
The lazy way makes more sense for my prep-time to enjoyment-speed ratio.
Purchase a box of butter cookies or plain water crackers.
The thick butter cookies are a more popular style, and results in a more substantial, sweeter alfajor.
If you like desserts that arent too sweet or too filling, try the water cracker approach.
Purchase a container of premade dulce de leche.
(Here are three different waysto do it.)
You want the consistency to be thick like Skippy peanut butter, almost fudgy.
Pulse a cup of shredded coconut in a food processor to make the pieces small.
This is optional but I find that the smaller pieces will stick better.
Pour the coconut onto a plate.
Lay out a few cookies or crackers, place them upside down if that applies.
I used Walkers shortbread rounds and Carrs plain water crackers.
Theyre both about two inches wide.
Spoon roughly one tablespoon of dulce de leche onto each disk in the center.
Roll the edges of the cookies on the plate of coconut so the shreds stick to the filling.
Repeat for all of the alfajores.
Theres no wrong way to do it.
On a separate plate, line up four cookies, backside facing up.
Scoop a tablespoon of dulce de leche onto the center of each cookie.
Place four more cookies, backside down, onto the dulce de leche to make a sandwich.
Press gently until the filling nearly reaches the edges.
Roll the edges of each alfajor in the coconut so it sticks to the dulce de leche.
