Alfajor Republic Blog RSS

  The alfajor was brought to Latin America from Spain, where it is still eaten as a traditional Christmas cookie. It's believed to have been introduced to Spain with the invasion of the Moors (because Spanish words beginning with "al" are believed to have Arabic roots.) Today, the name is the only similarity left between the Spanish and Latin American version of the cookie. The alfajores enjoyed in Spain are made with honey, almonds and spices -- a delightful mix to be sure -- but they have got nothing on the melt-in-your-mouth cookie that's sandwiched with dulce de leche (a milk-based caramel). There are many versions of the alfajores enjoyed all over Central and South America, probably more variations than...

  It's no secret that we here at HuffPost Taste have a bit of a sweet tooth. We relentlessly put together one dessert round-up after another (ahem, like this collection of 100 chocolate recipes or this one of the best flourless cakes). We discover bakeries we love, and then obsess about them (Billy's, Prantl's and Sugaree's to name just a few). We've recently turned our affection to a cookie popular in Latin America -- and it's taken ahold of our brains. This cookie is awesome and it's known as the alfajor. At first glance, the alfajor is entirely unassuming. One might even pass it up for something with chocolate chips or frosting. This would be a grave mistake. There's a...