Happy Monday! I can’t start my week better than posting this amazing recipe. I have a couple of other alfajor cookie recipes on this blog, but this one is special because it reminds me of my sweet mom.

My mom is a big reason why I bake so much now. I always saw her in the kitchen cooking or baking and alfajor was one of the things she baked a lot. She loved to make her own jam specially pineapple flavor.

These alfajores have walnuts and have 2 different fillings: dulce de leche and homemade pineapple jam.

I was not going to share this special recipe, BUT because it’s super special and delicious I would like that you try it out and let me know what you guys think. Why not making these or sharing them with someone you love?

Ready for the recipe? I’m sure you are!!

*If you want, you can make half recipe. I always like to make a lot of alfajores because they storage pretty good and they’re great with my coffee*

It’s up to you what size of round cookie cutter you use. I used 2.8 inch cookie cutter.

Ingredients

For the cookies

4 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1 /2 cups toasted walnuts, ground

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

4 eggs yolks, room temperature

4 tablespoons of whipped cream. You can use milk too.

For the 2 fillings:

First: 1 can dulce de leche by La Lechera and

Second: Homemade Pineapple jam:

My pineapple was big, so I used just half of it and gave me 2 cups of chopped pineapple. Be sure to chop it in tiny pieces.

Sugar: You should use the same amount of the pineapple. So, if you are going to use 2 cups of pineapple, you’ll need 2 cups of sugar too. You can cut some of the sugar but not too much.

Cinnamon: 1 cinnamon stick

Yucca/cassava: use 1/4 cup or max 1/3 cup of shredded yucca/cassava. Just the white part, not the dark skin.

Directions

*Before making the cookie dough, you have to toast the walnuts. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake 350F for about 7-8 minutes, just until they are golden brown. Do not burn the nuts!*

For the cookies

1.- In a bowl mix flour, grounded walnuts, granulated sugar.

2.- Pour the dry ingredients into a bowl of a stand up mixer and add the butter and mix for a couple of minutes. Add the egg yolks, one by one and keep mixing. Add the cream/milk and mix until dough forms a ball.

3.- Wrap the ball of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours, you can do this overnight too.

After 2 hours…

4.- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5.- Cut the dough in half. Flour some flat surface and roll the first half of the dough, be careful because the dough can get warm and sticky super quick. Using your round cookie cutter, cut your rounds and put them on your baking sheets. Re- roll the dough as needed. Do the same with the other half of the dough.

TIP: Before baking the cookies, I would recommend that you refrigerate the baking sheet with the cookie rounds for about 5 minutes, then bake!

6.- Bake on prepared baking sheets for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden and centers are set.Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling

Pineapple filling

1.- Cut the pineapple in tiny pieces. Put the pineapple in a pan with the sugar, cinnamon stick and the shreded yuca/casava. Cook for about 15 minutes. Yucca/Cassava will help your mixture to thicken.

2.- You have to wait for the jam to cool completely.

After filling your alfajores, you might have leftover jam but you can use it for your toasts, pancakes. This jam is really delish!!!

To assemble

Remember that you’ll make a 3 layer cookie.

1.- Count how many round cookies you have. For each alfajor you’ll need 3 cookies.

2.- Spread some jam on the top of a cookie, then set another one on the top, spread some dulce de leche. Set another cookie on the top.

3.- Sprinkle some powdered sugar on the tops of your cookie sandwiches.

That’s all!

If you have any question, send me a message to [email protected]

Enjoy!