One of my favorite activities to do with my family and friends during the holidays is to be part of a cookie exchange. This year, who better than Wilton to host the ultimate cookie exchange with members of their Wilton Treat Team. To make the exchange more interesting and fun, members were assigned to one another, keeping it all one big secret of course.
I was assigned Beth from Hungry Happenings. Go visit her blog because you will be in awe at all her wonderful creations, get click happy and lost in all her intricate desserts and beautifully crafted recipes. I just had to send her some alfajores.
Alfajores are exquisite butter cookies made with cornstarch, delicate but not as sweet as you may think. The sweetness from this confection comes from the thick dulce de leche layer in between each cookie and the generous sprinkle of confectioners sugar that completely covers the sandwich cookie. Traditionally, alfajores are round but by using Wilton’s Christmas Tree Comfort Tree cookie cutter, I was able to transform them into fun holiday shapes, perfect for the cookie exchange.
Wilton has some of the best holiday themed products to inspire your dessert table. With unique recipes from the Treatology table of treats to easy to follow guides on decorating techniques and guides on how to use their tools, Wilton has it all. You can even sign up for in-person decorating classes at your local crafts store. The perfect holiday gift for aspiring cake decorators.
If your 2015 resolution is to spend more time in the kitchen, Wilton.com is the perfect resource for the novice to the expert.
Now I’m off to send these cookies for Beth. I hope she enjoys them as much as I enjoyed baking them for her. Happy holidays!
Holiday Alfajores
Makes 7 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
Wilton Bake Easy Non-Stick Spray
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup corn starch
1 cup all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Pisco (or brandy)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup dulce de leche
confectioners sugar for dusting
Special equipment: Wilton Christmas Tree Comfort Tree cookie cutter
Method
Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a large baking sheet with Bake Easy Non-Stick Spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, 3/4 cup flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, add egg yolks, Pisco (or brandy) and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until combined, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons flour if dough is sticky (dough should be soft).
On a floured surface, form dough into a disk and roll out into an 11-inch round (1/8 inch thick) with a floured rolling pin. Using Wilton’s Christmas Tree Comfort Tree cookie cutter, cut out 14 dough trees(reroll scraps if necessary) and transfer to sheet. Arranging 1/2-inch apart.
Bake until firm and pale golden around edges, 12 minutes. transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes.
Sandwich cookies with 1/2 -1 teaspoon dulce de leche. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.
This is a sponsored post by Wilton. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
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