Chocolate Alfajores

Ingredients

• 2/3 cupbutter, softened; for cookie dough
• 1/3 cupsugar, for cookie dough
• 1egg, for cookie dough
• 1 tbsphoney, for cookie dough
• 1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour, for cookie dough
• 5/8 cupcornstarch, for cookie dough
• 1/3 cupunsweetened cocoa, for cookie dough
• 1 tspbaking soda, for cookie dough
• 1 tspbaking powder, for cookie dough
• 1 1/3 cupsdulce de leche, for filling; about 1 tsp per sandwich
• 17 1/2 ozmilk chocolate, for coating
• 7 tbspbutter, melted with chocolate for coating
• 1orange, zest only; for chocolate coating

Method

1. 1

   Cream the softened butter and sugar together until light. Add the egg and honey and mix well.

2. 2

   Add the flour, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. 4

   Divide the dough into two portions; keep one refrigerated while you work with the other. Roll out to about 2mm thick and cut into 5–6cm rounds. Bake one tray at a time for 8–10 minutes. Let cool completely.

5. 5

   Match cookies in pairs by size. Spread about 1 tsp dulce de leche onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with a matching cookie.

6. 6

   Chop the chocolate and melt it with the butter and orange zest over low heat, stirring until smooth.

7. 7

   Dip each sandwich cookie into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set.