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Three Kings’ Day Alfajores

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For many families, the dropping of the ball on New Year’s Eve signals the end of the holidays as they look forward to a new season.  While many around us have removed their lights and taken down their tree, we still have one more reason to celebrate. Three Kings’ Day (aka Epiphany) is traditionally celebrated on January 6th by Latin cultures across the globe. In Puerto Rico, our family’s country of origin, this is one of the most important holidays and signifies the end of the “12 Days of Christmas” when the three Wise Men arrived to honor the birth of Jesus. The day’s importance to Christians all over the world is in the revelation of God as a human being in Jesus Christ and his physical manifestation to the Gentiles.

Three Kings’ Day traditions and celebrations vary from culture to culture, however in Puerto Rico, it is customary for children to fill a box with hay or grass and place it under their bed for the Wise Man’s camel in exchange for gifts the following morning. People often compare this practice to leaving cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

As is customary within Latin cultures, food is an integral component of our celebrations. In honor of Three Kings’ Day, I’m sharing an easy and incredibly decadent recipe for Alfajores. This sandwich cookie features dulce de leche sandwiched between two buttery shortbread cookies and has its origins in Spain.  While there are many versions and variations, I stuck to a simple 5-ingredient shortbread cookie with a homemade dulce de leche.

Alfajores Ingredients

Everything you’ll need for this recipe, including the sweetened condensed milk, can be found at your local Walmart. If you’re looking for culture-specific ingredients, many Walmart stores now have expansive sections featuring foods specific to Latin, Asian Jewish cultures.

Here is my recipe for Three Kings’ Day Alfajores (adapted from El Mejor Nido).

Alfajores Recipe
Print
Three King’s Day Alfajores
Ingredients
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter softened
  • 2 tbs of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 14- ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Powered sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk into the to of the double boiler and add 1 cinnamon stick
  2. Place over boiling water and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until thick and caramel colored (approximately 2-3 hours)
  3. Remove cinnamon stick
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  6. Prepare baking sheets with butter or cooking spray
  7. Combine flour and salt in a bowl and set aside
  8. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy
  9. Add vanilla extract
  10. Add flour mixture and combine until a soft dough forms
  11. Shape dough into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  12. Generously flour work surface and rolling pin and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness
  13. Use a 2-inch round or fluted round cookie cutter to cut out 12 cookies
  14. Use a fork to prick center of each cookie to prevent bubbling during the baking process
  15. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes (do not allow cookies to brown)
  16. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack
  17. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of dulce de leche onto the flat side of 6 cookies. Top each with the remaining 6 cookies
  18. Sprinkle the tops of each sandwich cookie with powdered sugar, if desired
  19. Serve immediately

 Alfajores

These cookies are absolutely indulgent!  I love how soft and buttery the shortbread cookies are and the combination of the dulce de leche is absolutely divine. While these cookies are simple enough to make, there are a few tips I picked up during the process that will make it easier to achieve success.

1.  The dough will be sticky so be sure to add flour while rolling it out if necessary. If you find it unworkable, simply place it back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so.

2. Handle these baked cookies delicately as you assemble the “sandwiches.”

Dulce de Leche

3. Ensure both the cookies and the dulce de leche have cooled completely before assembling or you’ll have quite a bit of filling spreading outside of the cookie. Alternatively, you can use that extra filling to roll the cookies in nuts or coconut.

4. Avoid overfilling the cookies with dulce de leche as this spread tends to seep out of the sides.

Looking for additional ways to celebrate Three Kings’ Day? Check out these holiday-inspired ideas from my fellow Walmart Moms:

Three Kings’ Day Wooden Magnets

Three Kings’ Day Crown Craft

Three Kings’ Day Kids’ Craft

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Walmart Moms Disclaimer.2013

Caryn Bailey
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