En La Cocina with Daisy F. Dronen
Chai Tea Alfajores
(Chai Tea Dulce de Leche Shortbread)
Winter is the perfect time to enjoy a sweet treat with a nice cup of coffee or tea. Bringing with them nostalgic memories of travel to Spain, these alfajores are a great blend of sugar and spice. Chai tea has always been a favorite, and when paired with dulce de leche the buttery shortbread takes on new life. Enjoy making this shortbread and always make enough to share.
Ingredients for the shortbread
2 cups of all-purpose flour*
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
2 tea bags of Spiced Chai Tea
1 cup of salted butter (2 butter sticks) at room temperature
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
2 sheets of parchment paper
1 cookie cutter*
Ingredients for the the dulce de leche
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 16oz canning jar with lid
1 crockpot
Instructions for the dulce de leche*
1. Begin by gathering all the ingredients to your work space
2. Prepare the dulce de leche first. You will need to prepare it the night before or first thing in the morning.
3. Pour the condensed milk into the glass jar, leave a little space in the top of the jar. Seal the jar and place it in the crockpot, fill the crockpot with water just below the rim of the jar. Cook the jar of condensed milk on low for at least 8 hours. The clear glass jar makes it easy to see how much the milk has caramelized.
4. After 8 hours take the milk out of the crockpot and let it cool before using it. In the sealed jar the dulce de leche can last up to a week when refrigerated.
Instructions for the shortbread
1. Begin by gathering all the ingredients to your work space. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl combine the flour and salt.
3. Cut the open the tea bags and add them to the flour and salt mixture. Whisk until well combined.
4. In a mixer, cream the butter until you see little peaks (about 1 minute). Then add powdered sugar to the creamed butter and mix for about 2 minutes and then add the vanilla as you finish creaming the butter.
5. Lower the mixer speed to stir and slowly mix in the flour until the dough is mixed well and turns crumbly.
6. Put the dough between the two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out a bit thick. Put the flattened dough on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
7. Take the dough out the freezer and cut out the shortbread, because the shortbread is a bit frozen when baked it will retain its shape better.
8. Bake the shortbread for about 10-12 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet to let them brown without getting over cooked.
9. After your shortbread has cooled spread dulce de leche thickly on a piece and then adding another on top to create a sandwich or alfajores as known in Spain and Latin America.
10. Sharing the alfajores with friends over tea or coffee makes them immensely satisfying.
Notas
*if pressed for time you can buy a jar of dulce de leche. I enjoy the one from Trader Joe’s . IG: @daisyfd
*use your favorite cookie cutter, I prefer one with scalloped edges
*Gluten free all-purpose flour can be used but take care to cut the shortbread a bit thicker because they tend to break easier.