Argentine Alfajores

In 2005, just after my college graduation ceremony, I frantically began packing my suitcase so that the next morning I could fly to Dallas, Miami, and finally Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's likely that my family, though they have never said as much, thought I was completely insane for leaving so soon after my graduation. The more "normal" step would have been to move out of my off-campus apartment and celebrate with friends and family for a few days before enjoying my last free summer before entering real life with a real job. Instead, I spent the majority of the following day listening to a man talk about his dog, Booger, before finally making it to Argentina where I would spend the next two weeks with Brad.

We would eat good food.

We would dance the tango.

We would get engaged.

That was eight years ago and I still think back to that trip and get butterflies in my stomach. I was introduced to chimichurri, (which I make frequently to this day) and alfajores, which I had honestly forgotten about until a recent trip to an Argentine food truck at the Golden, CO farmers market.

Crisp cookies sandwich rich dulce de leche, creating a beautiful contrast of textures that pair perfectly with a hot cup of strong coffee.

When I took my first bite of these cookies, I was transported back to those two weeks in Argentina. It made me ache to return and experience it all again. Until that happens, at least I have this recipe to help me imagine I'm sitting at a café, sipping on café con crema, and looking over at the man I knew, without a doubt, I would spend the rest of my life with.

Alfajores

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 can dulce de leche

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Whisk the cornstarch, flour, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the sugar and butter together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy.
4. Add cognac and zest and beat to combine.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Do not over mix!
7. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a ball, kneading it gently so the dough comes together.
8. Form the dough into a log 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
9. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour.
10. Unwrap the chilled dough and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1/4 inch rounds.
11. Place the rounds on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
12. Bake 12-15 minutes until the cookies are a pale golden color.
13. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely.
14. Scoop one teaspoon of dulce de leche onto the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich the dulce de leche with another cookie.
15. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

The past week has been intense. We have seen shocking images from Boulder and surrounding areas that are literally under water. Every body of water near us is overflowing and rushing at a scary pace. Fortunately, our area hasn't seen much damage from all the rain. We had some serious street flooding the first day the storm system came to our area, but since then it has just been wet. It's a helpless feeling watching rain continue to fall knowing that there has been way too much already and that every drop that falls just adds to the destruction. It's an especially confusing feeling when all you've done is pray for rain to fall in the midst of a drought.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough :: Set the Table

I don't have the answers to why natural disasters happen or how to cope with the aftermath, but I do know that I almost always turn to baking. In Japan we didn't have a proper oven, so after the earthquake and tsunami, I made pancakes. We didn't know what was happening with the power plant in Fukushima and it seemed like every 5 minutes brought another aftershock. But I knew how to make pancakes. It was something certain. Something steady and reliable. It helped immensely to keep me calm and focused. Mostly.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe :: Set the Table

Yesterday, while the rain fell steadily outside for the 6th day in a row, I made snickerdoodles. This might be my favorite cookie, which is strange to say because I don't make them very often. Every time I do, I remember how I love the way they melt in my mouth. How every bite is a perfect combination of crispy and chewy. And, oh, the cinnamon-sugar coating... Yum.

This recipe is from my absolute favorite baking book: Baking Illustrated. If you don't have this book in your collection, you need it. Now. Just do yourself a favor: head to the Cook's Illustrated site (click here) and order it. They even have a section outlining how to cook in high altitudes which is based on their testing experience in Golden, Colorado.

While you bake these cookies, your kitchen will fill with the lovely smell of cinnamon, sugar and butter. It's wonderfully comforting.

So if you're at a loss for what to do this week, just bake some cookies. It'll help.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling the dough
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for rolling the dough

Instructions

1. Move your oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups of sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer set to medium speed. This should take about 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat on low until just combined, about 20 seconds.
6. Combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the balls about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden and the center is soft and puffy. Halfway through baking, switch the baking sheets from top to bottom. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
8. Best enjoyed with a big glass of milk or hot apple cider.