Chocolate-Dipped Alfajores, Mar del Plata Style

Method

1. Beat the soft butter, brown sugar and honey in a bowl for 2 min until smooth and creamy, then mix in the yolk. When half a yolk is needed, beat one and use half (about 1 tablespoon). The honey keeps the cookies soft and slightly chewy.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened 30 gLight brown sugar 25 gHoney 1 tbspEgg yolks 1

2. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, mix with a spatula, then bring together by hand into a soft dough. If it sticks badly, use only a tiny dusting of flour. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 min.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 70 gUnsweetened cocoa powder 12 gBaking powder ½ tspBicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 pinchGround cinnamon 1 pinch

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 min and line a tray with baking paper. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 6 mm thick, cut 6 cm rounds and space them 3 cm apart. You need an even number.

   oven

4. Bake in the oven for 8 min, one tray at a time if you have 1. Take them out when the tops look dry and matte and spring back when pressed lightly; longer makes them bitter and hard. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.

   oven

5. Turn half the cookies flat side up and pile on a generous mound of dulce de leche (about 30 g each), spreading it to 3 mm from the edge. Top with the remaining cookies and press gently to stick. Chill for 15 min so the filling firms up and does not ooze while you coat them.

   Add in this stepDulce de leche, thick baking type 120 g

6. Chop the chocolate finely; put two thirds in a bowl and set one third aside. Heat 3 cm of water in a 16 cm pot over low heat until barely steaming, set the bowl on top (it must not touch the water) and stir for 5 min until melted. Lift the bowl off, add the reserved chocolate and the oil and stir until smooth and slightly cool: a dab on your lip should feel just below body temperature. Even a drop of water makes chocolate seize, so keep everything dry.

   Add in this stepDark chocolate (55 to 70% cocoa) 150 gNeutral oil 2 tsp

   low heat

7. Set an alfajor on a fork, lower it into the chocolate, spoon chocolate over the top and sides, then tap the fork on the rim to let the excess drip off. Slide it onto baking paper and leave to set in a cool room for 30 min, or 10 minutes in the fridge if you are in a hurry.