These treats are perfect for your Christmas cookie box or cookie swap because they are different than your regular cookies, taste delicious and they keep well for many days. They taste even better a day or two after making them.  

These cookies have 3 parts: an alfajor cookie base (similar to a shortbread cookie) made with cornstarch, regular flour, vanilla, butter. Then, it has a swirl of dulce de leche. Finally, everything is coated in dark chocolate. They are delicious and very popular in South America specially in Argentina. 

This homemade dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk by Magnolia. 

Yield 24 dulce de leche cones 

Ingredients 

For the homemade dulce de leche 

1 can sweetened condensed milk by Magnolia 

1 can evaporated milk by Magnolia

For the alfajor cookies 

¾  cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup cornstarch 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

½ teaspoon baking soda 

¼ teaspoon salt 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 

1/3 cup white granulated sugar 

2 large egg yolks at room temperature 

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon brandy or orange liqueur (optional) 

For the chocolate coating 

Melted dark chocolate. I recommend using candy melts because they don’t required tempering. 

Directions: 

For the dulce de leche 

First, you have to make the dulce de leche because it takes time to cook and cool off. 

1.- Pour condensed and evaporated milk in a pot on low heat and move with a spatula until it thickens. Don’t stop mixing with your spatula because the milk can stick to the bottom and burn. You’ll have to be patient because this process takes about 20-25 minutes. 

2.- Your mixture should look thick in the pot. The best trick to know if it’s ready is when you run the spatula across the mixture and you can see the bottom of the pan.  If it’s not ready after 25 minutes, keep cooking until the mixture is thick.

3.- Pour the mixture into a heat proof container and let it cool completely. When it’s all cooled off, please cover it and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

For the cookies 

1.- In a medium bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

2.- In another bowl and using a mixer, beat butter for about 2 minutes. Then, add sugar and whip on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 more minutes. 

3.- Add in the yolks and mix for another minute. Add in vanilla and Brandy (if using) and mix until just combined. 

4.- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the dry mixture. Mix well. Your cookie dough will look like  play-doh. 

5.- Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a smooth disk and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours. 

6.- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 

7.- Unwrap dough and roll it out on top of a floured surface. Roll to ¼ -inch thick. Using a small round cookie cutter, make circles and place them on prepared cookie sheets. 

8.- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown and centers are set.  

9.- Let them cool off completely. 

Now that we have our dulce de leche and cookies ready. It’s time to assemble our cones. 

1.- On a cookie sheet, place all your cookies, bottom side down. 

2.- Take your dulce de leche out from the fridge and pour it into a piping bag fitted with a big round tip. Pipe some dulce de leche on top but not too close to the border. As soon as you pipe one, place it in the freezer (so be sure you have enough room for all your cookies). Continue piping the dulce de leche on top of all the cookies and let them chill in the FREEZER for about 1 hour. 

3.- After an hour, take them out from the freezer. Now, let’s make the chocolate. 

4.- Add your dark chocolate or candy melts into a small bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Check your chocolate every 60 seconds and stir so it doesn’t burn. 

Then, add ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil and mix well. Let it cool for a couple of minutes. If you think the chocolate is too thick, add ¼-½ teaspoon more of vegetable oil. 

5.- Dip your chilled dulce de leche cones into the chocolate coating, let the excess drip and place them on top of a cookie sheet lined with wax/foil paper. 

6.- Let them set at room temperature for 30 minutes or if you live in an area where is warm/hot, you can place them in the fridge for 10 minutes so they can get hard. 

Keep them in an airtight container. Enjoy!