Alfajor - Dulce de leche Cookie Sandwiches

This recipe really got an alfajor flavor - not as this try. I must confess that I really liked the result, but in the next time I'll reduce the cornstarch to about 150g 'cause the cornstarch flavor it was a little strong and I'll make the dough a little softer - I think I put too much flour so the cookie it was a little dry.
However, I liked so much this recipe and what surprised me was the fact that the alfajors aren't too sweet even with a generous layer of dulce de leche and milk chocolate couverture. Love it!

Recipe from Na Minha Panela.


100g margarine, at room temperature
100g sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
200g flour


Filling
150g creamy dulce de leche (we used a homemade dulce de leche)


To Dip
150g couverture milk chocolate 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

2. In a bowl, cream the margarine and sugar using a fork until is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well. Fold in the cornstarch and baking powder. Gradually add flour. You don't need to add all the flour, the dough must to be very soft, easy to stick on hands.

3. Roll out the dough between two plastics and cut with a round cutter. Place the cookies on a lined with waxed paper cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes. The cookies doesn't must to brown. When they are set with a golden brown base remove from oven. Let cool a little and fill with dulce de leche each cookie pair.

4. Melt the chocolate and dip each alfajor and let set on a waxed paper.

Serve: 15 regular alfajors.

Some yummies:

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Chocorango Bon Bon Candy

Today is a very special day: Happy B-day Chocorango! We could have a rich layer cake  to celebrate the date, but we baked it the last year.
What to present this year? A bonbon is a great idea!
We created a yummy version: strawberry, white chocolate with nuts, orange zest and a milk chocolate coating.

So, let's copy the recipe? It's really easy!

1 can condensed milk (395g)

1 tbsp butter

170g white chocolate with nuts

Zest of 2 oranges

15 strawberry hygienized and drained, remove the leaves and reserve

250g milk chocolate couverture

Directions

1. Heat over low heat the condensed milk and butter always stirring until makes a creamy mixture. Remove from heat when the condensed milk is very soft yet, 'cause when it's mixed with chocolate comes out thick. As soon as you turned off the heat add the chopped chocolate and stir until is complete melted. Stir in orange zest and let cool at room temperature.

2. Using your hands roll out a small portion of cold candy to make a thin circle. Mold this dough over the strawberry until is complete covered. If necessary, lightly grease your hands with butter so the candy won't stick on them. Repeat the same process with all strawberries.

3. Melt the milk chocolate and dip each bon bon on it. Drain the excess and place over a greased surface to dry. If desired, decorate with strawberry leaves when the chocolate is still melted. Let cool and serve cold or room temperature.

Tips: We used milk chocolate to coat but if you want use dark chocolate.

This bon bon takes strawberries in natura so it's better to consume them just until 3 days, refrigerated.

Serve: 15 bon bons.

Want a bite?





Another Chocorango's birthdays:

Thank you so much for the visits and comments! 

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Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake

Another chocolate cake, but this one is easy and fast to bake, on the other hand, is really tasty.

Recipe from the blog Helena Gasparetto

300g semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup unsalted butter 

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

300ml Coca-cola, in room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder

Chocolate Frosting

3 tbsp chocolate powder

3 tbsp sugar

3 shallow tbsp milk

1 tbsp butter

3 Brazil nuts and Cupuaçu fruit bars, chopped (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Choose a medium rectangular pan, it doesn't necessary grease it.

2. Melt together the chocolate and butter on water bath or microwave and let cool. Sift the flour with cocoa and baking powder and reserve.

3. In a beater, beat on high speed the eggs with sugar and salt for 2 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate and butter. Alternately, on low speed, add the Coca-cola, vanilla extract and the sifted ingredients, always beating. When the ingredients are done, immediately turn off the beater and fold with a spatula.

4. Pour the batter on the pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Frosting

5. When the cake is already baked, make the frosting. Heat all ingredients for 5 minutes, until is smooth and thick. Remove the cake from oven and pour the hot frosting. Wait to set a little and sprinkle the pieces of fruit bar.

Dicas: If you like a lot of frosting, double the frosting recipe. Use any nuts instead the fruit bars.

Yield: 20 portions.

Black Forest Torte

For who likes the chocolate-chantilly-cherry combination we suggest to make this recipe exactly it is! The cake is really, really light. Delicious! Just as the bought one!

6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
200g sugar
140g flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
50g unsalted butter, melted and cold


Syrup
1/2 cup of the liquid of canned cherry
1/2 cup Kirsch or Cognac


Filling
500ml whipping cream
60g icing sugar
1 cup drained canned cherry, coarsely chopped


Decoration
Curls of semisweet chocolate
Canned or fresh cherries
Mint leaves


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour two 20cm round pan. Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder and cocoa. Mix well and reserve.


2. In the electric beater, beat the eggs with salt for 10 minutes in high speed, until double in size and makes a airy mixture. Gradually add the sifted ingredients, gently folding with a spatula, so you don't lose the lightness of eggs. Gently fold in the melted butter just until incorporated.


3. Fill the prepared pans with the batter and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted comes out clean. Then is baked wait 10 minutes and remove from pans, so the hot air won't let the cake wet.


Filling
4. Whip the cream with sugar until makes soft peaks. 


To Finish
5. Cut both cakes to fill them and sprinkle the 4 layers with the cherry liquid and Kirsch. Fill each cake with a generous portion of whipped cream, reserving a little for the topping, and sprinkle the chopped cherries. Cover each cake with the other two layers, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.


7. Cover with the remaining whipped cream and place in the serving dish. Sprinkle the chocolate curls on the cake sides and decorate the top with larger chocolate curls, cherries and mint leaves.


Tips: You can make two cakes with this recipe, but if you want is possible make a larger cake or a small cake with 4 layers.


Serve: 2 small tortes or a big one.

Another yummilicious:

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Chocolate Dipped Loaf Cake

This cake is one of the yummiest cakes that is presented here in Chocorango. It's really fluffy and the chocolate coverture gives a special touch, just as a cake that we used to buy in a bakery near from our home! 

Ps. We got the help of Hozana to bake this cake.

Recipe adapted from the site Tudo Gostoso

4 egg whites

200g unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup milk (or orange juice)

2 cup flour

1 tbsp baking powder

350g milk chocolate couverture

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

2. In a clean bowl, free from grease and water, whip the egg whites in soft peaks. Reserve.

3. Cream butter with sugar for 5 minutes, until is pale and fluffy. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat for more 3 minutes. Beat in milk or orange juice. Gently fold in flour and baking powder. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites. Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and let to bake for about 1 hour or until is golden brown.

4. After 5-10 minutes, remove from the pan over a wire rack and cover with the melted chocolate. Let set and cool and serve.

Serve: 10 portions.





Yummy cakes:

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Truffle Candy

We just think about chocolate in this time of the year! At least in Brazil everywhere that we look we just see chocolate! So we must to share something sweet and chocolaty with all of you!

Recipe from Garoto book - Natal para presentear e vender

400g white chocolate, grated

1/2 cup cream

300g milk chocolate couverture, grated

50g dark chocolate

Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat a little water until starts to bubble. Remove from heat and place a bowl over the pan, but do not leave the water touches the bottom of the bowl. Add cream and white chocolate and stir until is melted and smooth. Pour this mixture onto a 18x28cm rectangular pan lined with waxed paper. Chill for about 2 hours or until the chocolate is set. 

2. When the chocolate is set, remove from pan, take off the waxed paper and cut into 2x4cm strips. Reserve in the fridge.

3. Heat some water again in a saucepan and place a clean bowl. Add the chocolate couverture and stir until is smooth and shiny, completely melted. Dip each chocolate strip in the milk chocolate, remove the excess and let set over a waxed paper. Decorate with melted dark chocolate or if you prefer, melted white chocolate to a bigger color contrast. Let set and serve.

Tips: In the original recipe, it's stirred together the melted white chocolate and cream, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp Cointreau (orange liquor).

Serve: About 40 truffle candies.

Delicious recipes:

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Spotted Cow Cookies

It doesn't the first time that a cow moo here in Chocorango. Probably who follow us remember black cow of Alaska. Anyway, those cookies are really cute, funny and delicious!

Recipe slightly adapted from the blog Aancoo Journal


White dough
60g unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder


Dark dough
60g unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder


Directions


White Dough
1. Cream butter with sugar until is pale and fluffy. Fold in vanilla extract, cornstarch, flour and baking powder. Wrap in a plastic and chill until you prepare the dark dough.


Dark Dough
2. In the same bowl, cream butter and sugar until is pale and fluffy. Fold in vanilla, cornstarch, flour, cocoa, milk and baking powder.


To finish
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a cookie sheet.


4. Shape small balls with a portion of white and dark dough, be careful to not work it so much, making a one color cookie. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the base is lightly brown. If you want soft cookies, remove from oven before its brown, if you want crispy cookies, let brown.


Serve: About 80 small cookies.

Some cookies:

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Oat and Raisin Cookies

These cookies are perfect for a quick snack in the afternoon. The inspiration of marinating the raisins before, came from the Patricia's blog and it's worth a lot to lose some minutes cooking them. They done delicious and makes a great pair with the cookies flavor and texture.

For raisins
100g raisins 
100ml rum
50ml orange juice
2 tbsp sugar


Cookies
100g butter at room temperature
100g sugar
1 egg
Zest of 1 orange
1  1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats 
1/2 tsp baking soda


 Directions
1. Mix raisins with rum, orange juice and sugar and let to minimum heat for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring. Drain and let cool.


2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a cookie sheet. 


3. Cream butter with sugar just until is pale and fluffy. Add egg and orange zest and beat well. Beat in flour, oats and baking soda just until is smooth. Fold in cooked and drained raisins.


4. In a floured surface roll out the dough and cut with a round cutter. Place on the cookie sheet leaving a small space between them, so the cookies can increase in size. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until is lightly golden.


Serve: About 65 cookies.

Oats kindly  provided by Nutrimental.

Another oats recipes:

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Mable Cupcake

What a fluffy and yummy cupcake! We just love this recipe that we find in an awesome blog, the Sweet Little Dream.

Recipe adapted from the blog Sweet Little Dream.


100g butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar 
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk 

1 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Frosting

100g semisweet chocolate

1/4 cup cream at room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 445˚F.

2. Cream butter with sugar until is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, milk, flour and baking powder and beat for 5 seconds. Turn off the beater and gently fold with a spatula. Divide the batter in two parts and fold in the cocoa just one of those parts.

3. Fill 9 muffin pans with both batters and lightly stir with a spoon to give a marble effect. When you're going to put the pan in oven, decrease the temperature to 360˚F and bake for 20 minutes or just until a toothpick is inserted comes out clean. Let cool over a rack.

Frosting

4. Melt the chocolate and stir in the cream. Cover the cupcakes with this mixture and decorate with chocolate curls.

Tips: If you want, substitute half semisweet chocolate for milk chocolate.

Serve: 9 cupcakes.

Delicious cupcakes and muffins:

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