If you like Alfajores cookies, you’re gonna love the alfajores tart! It’s made of a golden buttery short crust pastry filled with dulce de leche and whipped cream cheese and toasted coconut. A delicious treat that’s also perfect for Shavuot.
Photo: Efrat Lichtenstadt
Alfajores Tart with Cream Cheese
For short crust pastry:
- 140 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 40 grams (4 tbsp.) cornstarch
- 120 grams (1 stick) cold butter (cut into cubes)
- 50 grams (5 tbsp.) icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp. cold milk (as needed)
For the filling:
- 200-300 grams Dulce de Leche
- 210 grams (1 pack) cream cheese
- 250 ml. (1 cup) cold heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. sugar powder
- 1 tsp. instant vanilla pudding powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Decoration:
- 20-30 grams toasted shredded coconut
- Crust: in a food processor with a steel blade put flour, cornstarch, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and process until mixture is crumbly.
- Add egg yolk and continue to process just until large clumps of dough form. If the dough is not setting, gradually add a little milk.
- Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface and form a disc-shape with your hands.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured work surface about 3-4 mm thick and line the pie pan. It is important to create a right angle between the sides and the base of the crust, which will ensure the edges remain high when baking.
- Using a fork create holes in the crust. Freeze the crust for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
- Blind baking: put a sheet of heat-resistant plastic wrap or baking paper on the frozen crust and fill with dry beans or special weights for baking.
- Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
- Remove the weights and the plastic wrap and continue to bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes or until it is golden brown.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
- Spread Dulce de Leche over the baked crust in a thin layer.
- Cheese filling: in a mixer bowl whip cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, cream stabilizer and vanilla on high speed until creamy and very stable.
- Transfer the cream cheese into a piping bag fitted with a round 2 cm piping tip, and pipe mounds of cream over the Dulce de Leche layer.
- Garnish with toasted coconut and serve.
- Keep the alfajores tart in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Instead of cream cheese you can use mascarpone.
Photo: Efrat Lichtenstadt