Alfajores de Maizena

Hi lovely people of the world!  Thank you so much for the feedback and support on my post about my 1st dress fitting.  I truly appreciate every single word you guys write up in the comment section. 

On Sunday, after a busy day at church, I headed over to LA and hung out with these two lovely gals.

Sophia invited me to a Korean bar called Bbok-goo-ghee (stands for a bird’s name) to hang out and meet her friend Jordan for the very first time.

Jordan is such a sweetheart and I found it to be incredible that we got along so well!  Saturday was her 21st birthday, so Sophia naturally wanted to treat her out for a drink.

So did Jordan get her drink?

Nope.  This girl went for a 7-Up.  Seriously, thumbs up Jordan!  Thumbs up seven up?   Just goes to show that one does not need a drink to have fun, haha.

Sophia ordered a Korean alcoholic drink called Soju.

You may or may not have seen them on Korean TV commercials–which, by the way, happen to feature the most gorgeous celebrities to make you think that you can become just like them!  Typical.

This concoction consisted of lemon juice and Soju.  I guess the lemon juice neutralized the nastiness bearableness (my own word) of this drink!  I tried 2 sips and was done.  And boy am I lightweight!  Apparently, Sophia took notice that I wasn’t a fan of it due to my squeamish expressions.

What was so amazing about this get-together is that we all have an inclination towards language!  All three of us happened to share a love for learning foreign languages, as well as discussing the quirky ways that language and culture relate to one another.  We also had a Chinese and Korean lesson going on through our time together.

So, would I go back to Bbok-goo-ghee again?  Probably not, but I will certainly keep in touch with these awesome girls, God willing.

This morning I felt way more refreshed than I had in a long time.

I looked out the window and saw the sunny skies, and felt the cool Autumn breeze making its way into my room.

Naturally, I was craving an Autumn like breakfast.  Enter Maple-Balsamic Peach French Toast.

It was delicioso!

Err but waaaaaaiiittt a minute….

Something is wrong with this picture.  I was quite certain that peach is an Autumn fruit!!

Oh man was I wrong!  My fruit-ignorance got the best of me and I had been deceived until now, thinking that peaches are summer produce.  But hey, at least I felt really giddy while eating this breakfast today!

It’s times like these when I say ignorance is bliss.  Teehee.

I am that individual who always likes to reminisce about the old pastimes from childhood.  I just can’t help but look back to my old Argentine roots sometimes, until I reeeaaally start to miss my dear homeland.

This is the reason I knew that today was for making Alfajores de Maizena [Ahl-fah-ho-rehs dae My-sen-ah].

Okay, that and the fact that the Dulce de Leche was on its last week before “perishing”. 

Alfajores are shortbread cookies, which are traditionally eaten in Argentina and throughout a large part of South America.  These cookies are sandwiched with Dulce de Leche in between, which adds a decadent twist to said cookie.  The word Maizena basically means “cornstarch”.

They are often enjoyed after school as a snack, and it can be paired with some Yerba Mate or tea with milk.  It’s a staple dessert that keeps all Argentine folk happy and content.  Whether it be a sunny day or a rainy day, it’s something that we all grew up appreciating about our beautiful culture and its eclectic cuisine. <3

***Note:  These treats aren’t supposed to be healthy, but for family members, it was modified to be lower in sugar, as well as more nutrient dense with the substitution of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (instead of white).***

Alfajores de Maizena

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1 C whole wheat pastry flour (or white if you prefer)
• 2 C Maizena (cornstarch)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or regular salt)
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 C butter at room temp (or Earth Balance–Vegan spread)
• 1/2 C raw cane sugar (or white sugar)
• 3 packs of Stevia**
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract

For filling:

• Dulce de Leche
• 1/2 C Shredded coconut to roll in

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients from the cookie ingredients list.
• Cream the butter and sugar+Stevia in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a handheld beater.
• When the butter+sugar is creamed well enough, add the eggs.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and beat for approximately 30 seconds at medium speed.
• Pour in the dry ingredients from the other bowl.  Beat it until it starts to form crumbly bits and lumps.
• Grab a handful of the dough (about 1/3 of it) and begin to press it together and gently knead it on a cutting board, and make sure it doesn’t crack too much.
• Form it into a nice log of about the circumference of a regular water cup.  Do the same process with the rest of the dough.  It is best if you end up with 3 logs.
• With a sharp knife, gently begin to slice about half of an inch as you rotate the dough-log and as you continue to gently slice through.  This way, it won’t flatten on one slice or fall apart.  They will look like little medallions.
• Place them on a greased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, or until they are slightly golden on top.
• Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
• When it’s cooled down, spread a spoonful of Dulce de Leche on the flat side of the cookie and stick another cookie to make it into a sandwich.
• Roll the edge of the Alfajores in the shredded coconut, and it will stick to the Dulce de Leche.
• Voila!! Depending on the particular cookie size, you should end up with about 12 Alfajores.

I, of course, enjoyed this amazing dessert alongside my beloved Yerba Mate, as I reminisced about childhood while I also chatted with my sis.

And scarfed down enjoyed every bit of it. Please, do yourself a huuuuuge favor and try makin’ these! I beg thee, with a cherry on top?

If you aren’t a native of where you currently reside, do you miss your homeland at times?

What treats or foods make you think of childhood?

What season best describes you?

Love,

Ellie <33

Tagged as: Alfajores de Maizena, Argentina, Autumn, birthday, blogger friends, childhood, Dulce de Leche, foreign languages, french toast