One group of Petits Chefs have already had the pleasure of working with Chef Rossy Earle (and they made empanadas and Panamanian milk candies) so I was thrilled when Rossy agreed to come back to share a little bit of Panama with the new group of Petits Chefs. Born & raised in Panama City, Panama, Rossy prides herself in infusing Latin American flavours into whatever she creates, making it her goal to merge some of her roots into Canadian food culture. Currently a freelance Chef in Toronto, Rossy is working on on developing her website and a line of bottled specialty products – Neil and I were the very fortunate recipients of Rossy’s first product – her hotly anticipated “Salsa de Fuego” hot sauce.
This week, Rossy chose to make alfajores with the boys. “Alfa-what?” was the response earlier in the day when I told the boys what we were making. Confusion turned into delight when I explained that alfajores are sweet, shortbread-like cookies joined together with dulce de leche or jam and covered with powdered sugar. The boys were thrilled as I generally don’t choose sweet treats but since we’re so close to Christmas, I figured it was a great way to keep little hands busy on a rainy Monday afternoon!
Rossy normally uses a stand mixer for this dough as it can be very very stiff and hard to manipulate with a hand mixer but the boys soldiered on and did a great job until the mixers would mix no longer…
I was impressed to see how well the boys worked with rolling the dough – such precision and care! Rossy brought some pre-made dough with her so that it could be rolled out immediately whilst the dough we made during the club was carefully packaged up for the boys to take home and make some more cookies on their own!
Look at how well they eeked out every last little bit of dough!
And before and after the oven….
The boys’ cookies were too hot to fill (so they all left with Ziploc baggies of Rossy’s homemade dulce de leche – lucky lucky little boys!) but we took one and showed the boys how to pipe the filling and make the sandwich and coat with powdered sugar. Perfect!
I heard rave reviews about the cookies and the dulce de leche from the boys – and some of them even filled their cookies with Nutella, peanut butter and various jams – and I am confident that some of the guys will be making these at home over the holidays too!
Sweet shortbread-like cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche.Alfajores
Ingredients
Instructions
Thanks so much Rossy for taking time out of your super busy schedule this holiday season to share some of your wonderful traditions with the boys – we so appreciate it!
Oh, my, no wonder there were raves!!!! These look fabulous, especially with the dripping dulce de leches..mmmmmmmmm.
Yes the dulce de leche was very popular!
I love alfajores…hmm…that sweetness is just oozing goodness!
I know!
Which little genius filled his cookies with Nutella?! Inspired. That’s my boy! Mardi, what a great step by step post. It felt like I was there.
I think I am training the boys well, no? Nutella in everything LOL!
I have to admit, I was like your Petits Chefs when I saw your tweet that they would be making these with Chef Rossy…*alfa what?*
You can imagine my delight when I arrived here to see that alfajores are a shortbread-like cookie! Almost squeeled when I saw the first picture of one filled with Dulce de Leche.
Les Petits Chefs are great little cookie dough rollers and very creative alfajores fillers! Must have been a fun class but then again, I tend to think they very much enjoy all of their cooking classes.
P.S. The *homework* assignments are fantastic 🙂
They are GREAT cookies. And yes, the boys loved the homework!
oooh, I remember these from a Latin bakery I once visited. So delicious! Thanks a ton for the recipe, I’ll have to make them this holiday season!
They are wonderful holiday cookies!
This looks so good. Love dulce de leche.
Mmmm – me too!
In the kitchen with Rossy making cookies!
What a treat!
The story and the pictures make it like you’re in the kitchen as well.
The only thing missing is the audio track of laughter.
Absolutely wonderful.
Aw thanks! We had a lot of fun!
My friend and I were just saying we need to get together to make alfajores again!! Love these cookies- became obssesed with them when I was in Argentina. Have you had the lemon filling ones? To DIE!! Yours look amazing!
Oh no – but now I think I need to try those lemon filled ones – I can imagine they are delicious!
Alfajores have been on my list of cookies to make for a *very* long time now. I think this is a sign I need to get them crossed off the list soon! Thank you, Chef Rossy, & Les Petits Chefs for the inspiration.
Oh I am glad to have reminded you!
I made these a million years ago for Spanish class, and had forgotten how good they were. Thanks for posting this and sending some buzz!
They are so easy too! I never knew!
But how does a dumb Aussie pronounce alfajores?
And, sorry for being such a bonehead but dulce de leche is what exactly?
Whatever… lucky boys.
Oh Dad…. alfa -hor -es. And dulce de leche is caramel, basically! And yes the boys are lucky!
These are on my list too, lucky chaps. It’s the caramel, sweet but addictive 🙂
The boys are very lucky indeed!
I just love seeing what your chefs are up to. These cookies look fabulous… I cannot get enough dulce de leche!
Neither could they!
ermm… your boys making baking easy 😐 I have to catch up!
They are quite the little bakers!