HOUSTON – Serving Christmas sweets is the best way to spread holiday cheer. And we are always looking for new easy recipes for you to try at home.
We discovered the queen cookie in South America: shortbread cookies with dulce de leche or “alfajores,” as they are called in Spanish. And nobody makes alfajores in the Houston area like Belén Bailey from Sweets by Belen. She stopped by our studio to share her grandma’s recipe for Texas pecan alfajores with us.
“The cookie is famous in South America and every country has their own version of this delicious cookie,” said Bailey, who was a Spanish teacher for many years before she decided to open her own bakery on Hillcroft Avenue.
Dulce de leche's appearance and flavor is similar to caramel, but is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk. According to Bailey, that’s the key to this treat “It's way better than caramel,” Bailey said.
To make it great for Christmas, finish them with sugar powder and sprinkles.
Texas Pecan Alfajores Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds butter, unsalted
1 cup sugar
1 cup Texas pecans, chopped
6 egg yolks
6 cups flour
Cinnamon
Directions:
Place butter, yolks, Texas pecans and sugar in a stand mixer.
Then add flour 1 cup at the time and incorporate the cinnamon until all the dough is blended together.
Roll out the dough and cut out with a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter.
Place them in a cookie sheet and into the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let them cool and filled the alfajores with dulce de leche.
Recipe provided by: Belen Bailey.