Bringing new life to hamantaschen was a challenge. People are dead set on their favorite flavors, like classic poppy seed and apricot. Of course, newer directions such as Nutella and rainbow funfetti are a big hit with the kids, but reinventing the grown-up hamantaschen into a decadent cookie you actually crave was very important to me. Then it hit me: alfajores!
Alfajores are an incredibly decadent sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche, a caramel-like spread made from condensed milk.
The cookies have a complex history. Most people associate alfajores with Argentina, Uruguay and Peru, but they were brought to the New World by the Spanish in the 16th century. Before that, it’s said that the cookies were actually an Arab import when Spain was largely under Arab control in the 14th and 15th centuries.
I was first introduced to the famous South American cookie at the well-known Israeli cafe chain Aroma in New York City. Alfajores are actually extremely popular in Israel today, much more so than in the States. It was love at first bite. Cornstarch and extra egg yolks give the cookies a very light, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Then, slowly cooked dulce de leche is sandwiched in between. The cookies are usually rolled in lightly toasted coconut and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
The Nosher celebrates the traditions and recipes that have brought Jews together for centuries. Donate today to keep The Nosher's stories and recipes accessible to all.
Translating all of these elements into our beloved traditional hamantaschen was a no brainer, and made for the most popular hamantaschen in my house to date! Making your own dulce de leche filling is actually incredibly easy, but if you can find it at your grocery store, feel free to use it here.
Note: This hamantaschen recipe calls for unsweetened large flaked coconut, which is preferable to the heavily sweetened macaroon coconut.
Dulce de Leche Hamantaschen
All the flavors of alfajores in one decadent Purim cookie.
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 15
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ⅔ cup butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (zest from 1 lemon)
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I prefer Morton’s)
For the dulce de leche filling:
- 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To serve:
- 1 cup unsweetened large flaked coconut
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Remove the labels from both cans of sweetened condensed milk. Place the cans on their sides in the bottom of large pot. Fill the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 3½ hours. Add water if necessary, so that the cans are completely submerged in water. Use tongs to remove the cans from the hot water, and allow the cans to cool for least 1 hour.
- Open the cans and scoop out the caramelized dulce de leche. Add the salt and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Cream on medium speed until lighter in color and fluffy. Add the eggs and lemon zest and thoroughly combine. Add the flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer, and beat on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball, about 1 minute. Dump the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, bringing it together into a ball, then flatten with your hands. Wrap the dough tightly, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the coconut flakes on the baking sheet, and toast until lightly golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Pour the coconut into a bowl, and set aside.
- Cut the dough in half. Dust your work surface with flour. Working with one half, roll the chilled dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scrapes and repeat with the second half of dough.
- Place 1 tsp filling in the center of each circle. Fill a small bowl with water, and dip your finger in and run it around the perimeter of each cookie. This is the glue that will hold the dough together. Pinch the top of circle together, then bring up the bottom of the circle, creating three distinct points. Pinch the corners tightly, and up the sides very tightly, enclosing the filling, so it doesn’t spill out. Dulce de leche is a softer filling, so a tight seal is important.
- Place the shaped cookies 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and place the cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes to help maintain their shape.
- Bake the cold cookies for 12-15 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted coconut and powdered sugar.
Notes
This hamantaschen recipe calls for unsweetened large flaked coconut, which is preferable to the heavily sweetened macaroon coconut.
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Holiday
Nutrition please?
Pretty sure it’s high in sugar and fat, low in protein, not too bad in sodium. All scientific measurements, of course. You’re welcome!
Corn starch?! Never have come across that! Otherwise, my winning recipe is same as yours. Please explain?
Please include weights (non-metric: ounces) as well as volume measurements. Yes, I can use metric just fine, but your platform changes the cups into amounts that include fractions of grams, which is just silly!
Could I use matzah meal instead of flour?
We haven’t tested this recipe with matzah meal but please let us know how it turns out if you do.
These cookies taste absolutely delicious! Our toddler loved them, too. I think the cornstarch is possibly the key ingredient in the dough and set these cookies apart. That being said, though, I did find a few small discrepancies in the recipe that I only want to mention to help others baking these cookies for the first time. The vanilla was mentioned in the ingredient list but left out in the body of the recipe when preparing the dough. Thankfully, I caught this and added it to my dough. Also, the filling recipe calls for 2 (14 oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk. This was far too much for the approximately 18 cookies you will get from the dough. I recommend either cutting the filling in half or doubling up the dough unless you have other uses for all the extra caramel filling. Also, do NOT overfill. The recipe says to drop 1 tsp of filling on each round of dough. It still overflowed a bit, so less is more here if you are going for the perfect cookie. I used sweetened coconut flakes to garnish (and no powdered sugar), since that’s what I had on hand already, and it still tasted great. However, the recipe said to toast for 8-10 minutes. Thankfully, I only toasted 5-7 because that was exactly enough (not sure if it’s because mine was sweetened or if it’s just a difference in ovens). And, last but not least, I only cooked the cookies for 10 minutes (possibly, again, due to a difference in ovens). I used an electric convection oven, and I did add 1 T of orange juice when I prepared my dough just because I wanted the extra flavor. I hope this information is helpful to others. Happy baking!