Barbara Behrend

Barbara is based in Hamburg and has been with BLUE for over five years as Business Development Manager and Intercultural Coach.
Her interest for countries and cultures inspired her to spend a school year in Argentina as an exchange student – an unforgettable and very exciting time. After finishing school, Barbara studied German language and philosophy and then started working in the relocation industry where she spent several years in Switzerland before returning to her home town Hamburg.

Alfajores are typical Argentinian biscuits that are omnipresent and often served with a cup of Mate tea in the afternoon. Tourists like to buy them as souvenirs An Alfajor is a sandwiched biscuit that is filled with dulche de leche, a caramel cream made of sweetened condensed milk. Alfajores are not made out of the usual shortcrust pastry, but with cornstarch, which gives them a lovely fluffy consistency

Alfajores de maicena con dulce de leche

150g softened butter
80g sugar
2 egg yolks (organic)
170g cornstarch
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla essence
salt
200g dulce de leche (available in well-stocked supermarkets)
5 tbsp desiccated coconut
flour for working surface
round pastry cutter (approx. 5cm Ø)

Whisk the butter until creamy, then gradually add the sugar. Add the egg yolks, the lemon rind and vanilla essence.
Mix the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt. Using a spoon, stir it into the butter and egg mixture. Knead it into a smooth pastry, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Roll the pastry out to about 4mm thickness, cut out rounds and place them on the baking tray. Bake at 180°C in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The biscuits should still be very light (almost white). Let them cool well.
Then spread some dulche de leche on the cooled (!) bottom side of a biscuit and set a second biscuit on top. Press together lightly. Don’t worry if some of the dulche de leche oozes out – spread it around the edge and roll the biscuit in some desiccated coconut.
¡Buen provecho!