Where do you find Peruvian Alfajores de Miel?

It is a democratic dessert because you will find them from street vendors to the fanciest bakery in town.

Where can you find Chancaca if you are not in Peru?

You will find it in any Latin market because it is a way of sweetened desserts in many South American countries. In some countries, you will discover Chancaca also in whole foods markets because it is a natural sweetener with no additives. Sometimes it will be called panela.

Can you replace the lard?

I don't recommend replacing it because it will change the texture, but something similar will be vegetable shortening.

Peruvian Alfajores de miel - Honey Alfajores recipe

Name: Peruvian Alfajores de miel - Honey Alfajores recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of anise seeds; 4 tablespoons of white sugar; 4 cups of flour; 300 grams of lard; 2 teaspoons of salt; 1 block of Chancaca or panela (250 grams); 1 cinnamon stick; 2 cloves; 2 cups of water; 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar

Description

The Alfajores de Miel is a popular Peruvian dessert, where the main ingredient is the Chancaca block made out of sugar syrup from sugar cane. The history said is a dessert from the colonial times, when the convent nuns were the first to promote this sweet.

Ingredients

Scale

For the dough:

1 tablespoon of anise seeds
4 tablespoons of white sugar
4 cups of flour
300 grams of lard
2 teaspoons of salt

For the honey

1 block of Chancaca or panela (250 grams)
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar

Instructions

Add the anise seeds, white sugar, flour, and salt to a food processor—pulse the dry ingredients once to mix them well. Cut the lard into little cubes, turn on the food processor, and feed the dry ingredient mixture through the tube with all the lard. Could you wait until it makes a ball?
Put the dough into a plastic wrap or bag and press it to a thick flat round. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to rest.
Meanwhile, we are going to prepare honey. We will cut the Chancaca into bits and put them in a pot with the water, cinnamon stick and cloves. Put the pot over low heat until it becomes thick honey or until it reaches the soft ball temperature. Strain the honey from the cinnamon stick and cloves, add the vinegar and let it cool for further use.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare to bake sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the cookies with a round cookie cutter or a glass. Put them over the prepared pans and make holes with a fork to prevent the formation of bubbles. Bake them for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden. When the dough has rested for at least two hours, you have flour on a surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Continue with all the dough until you finish.
Now, we have to assemble these sandwich cookies with a layer of cooked dough, some honey, dough, honey, and dough and finish with a bit of syrup. The difference with this Alfajor is that we don’t use powdered sugar to finish them, only the same honey.
I hope you like it and prepared these mouth cookies for a special occasion.

Keywords: Peruvian Alfajores, Alfajores de Miel, Alfajores de Chancaca recipe