S'more Alfajores with Dulce de Leche Ganache
These S'more Alfajores feature a Dulce de Leche Ganache with toasted Italian meringue sandwiched between two buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Equipment
- Kitchen Torch
Ingredients
Alfajores
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Dulce de Leche Ganache
- 200g dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup dulce de leche**
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
Italian Meringue
- 2 egg whites room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup +2 tbsp water
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, pausing between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until no longer visible. Pour in the flour mixture and beat until a crumbly dough forms. Add the cream and beat until dough becomes silky.
- Transfer the dough to the counter and form into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Let chill for 1 hour.
- Once an hour has passed, place the dough on a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out until it is a ¼ of an inch thick. Punch cookies out of the dough using a 1 ½" round cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and place them the oven. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
For the Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Pour the dulce de leche and cream into a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Heat until the mixture is hot like bath water but don't let it come to a boil.
- Pour the hot dulce de leche mixture over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Once the minute has passed, whisk until a smooth and glossy mixture forms. Add the salt and stir to combine. Cover the ganache and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
For the Meringue
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and whisk the egg whites on high until foamy.
- While the egg whites are being whisked, pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan and place over high heat. Heat the mixture until it reaches 240°F.
- With the mixer mixing on medium-high, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the finished meringue to a piping bag fitting with a large piping tip - I used a Wilton 6B.
To Assemble
- Spread roughly a teaspoon of the ganache on half of the cookies. Pipe a dollop of the meringue on top of the ganache and toast with a kitchen torch. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently press. Serve the S'more Alfajores immediately.
Notes
**I used Eagle brand dulce de leche, which has a very runny consistency. If yours does not thin it out with additional cream.