Alfajor Capullano – Rediscovering my family’s recipe

Alfajor capullano. jpgGuest post by Antonella Delfino

This recipe has belonged to my family for several years, but I just found it a few months ago.  I heard my family rave about this alfajor over and over again, but had never tried it because, as it turned out, the recipe was lost. The original alfajor used to be prepared by my grandmother, but since I didn’t have the pleasure to meet her, I had never experienced this delightful dessert.

A few months ago I borrowed my aunt’s recipe notebook. To my surprise, I found that it had a couple of grandma’s best recipes… including this wonderful Alfajor Capullano. This discovery made me really happy.

Alfajor capullano. jpg

As soon as I stumbled upon the recipe, I went out and bought all the ingredients and tried to make it. It was a little difficult to prepare because the quantities were inexact and the ingredients and instructions were not friendly for a modern cook (for example, instead of saying “4 oz. butter”, it said “1 stick X brand of butter”, which was the only one sold in Lima at the time and, therefore, the perfect measurement for that specific recipe. Despite the difficulties, it turned out really, really well. The delayed gratification was completely worth it. Try it and you’ll see how amazing it is!!!

Alfajor capullano. jpg

To prepare this dessert, you need patience and time. It is not difficult but the dough is delicate and the layers can break if they are not completely cold. I always say to my husband that I need to be in a “Zen” mode to prepare it. But I assure you that it is absolutely worth it; you will enjoy this alfajor, without a doubt.

Alfajor capullano. jpg

The last alfajor I made, which you can see in the pictures below, was served with vanilla bean ice cream. It was an awesome combination and I highly recommend it.


Alfajor Capullano
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1⅓ cup butter, melted and at room temperature
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk, at room temperature
  • 1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
  • ½ can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • Confectioners sugar
  • Strawberries to garnish
  • Ice cream (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ᵒ F.
  2. Sift the flour and salt. Stir and make a well in the center.
  3. Pour the butter and milk in the center, and stir first with a spoon and then knead quickly with your hands until you have a dough that does not stick to your hands.
  4. Divide the dough in four pieces. On a Silpat (or parchment paper), roll one of the pieces with a rolling pin to form a circle, about ¼ inch thick. Using a round baking mold, or a plate, cut a circle of about 9 inches in diameter. Prick the surface of the cookie with the tines of a fork, but do not do this in the cookie that will go on top of the alfajor.
  5. Bake the cookie in the Silpat for 13 minutes or until it is cooked through and lightly browned. Cool in the same tin. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have four cookies, the same size.
  6. In a bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk and the dulce de leche.
  7. Carefully transfer one cookie to a plate and spread with some of the dulce de leche mixture. On top of this put another cookie and repeat until you have used the four cookies.
  8. Using a fine sieve, dust the alfajor with confectioners sugar.
  9. Garnish with strawberries and serve with ice cream, if you want.


Comments

  1. It looks wonderful and I am so happy you were able to recreate a family recipe. My aunt loves the alfajores de miel but I have not been able to find a good recipe. Still searching 🙂 Thanks !

  2. If you can edit this post with a video to see your technique!

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