cajeta

Flecked with vanilla seeds throughout the dough, alfajores are the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of vanilla bean cajeta—a goat's-milk variation on dulce de leche. The combination of sticky toffee sauce and buttery shortbread can't be beat, but it can be improved upon. My recipe replaces traditional cornstarch with tapioca starch, keeping the alfajores tender and light.

Alfajores Con Cajeta (Vanilla Shortbread With Goat's-Milk Toffee) Recipe

vanilla bean, preferably Mexican

all-purpose flour (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 115 grams)

tapioca starch (3/4 cup; 85 grams)

sugar

(1 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

(1 grams) baking powder

unsalted butter

recipe Cajeta Casera (see note)

Split vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape out seeds with the flat of the blade; reserve empty pod for cajeta or another use. Combine vanilla seeds with flour, tapioca starch, powdered sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to form a fine and sandy meal, then add egg yolks and continue processing until the dough balls up around the blade. Divide in half and proceed to step 2, or wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Turn a portion of dough onto a powdered sugar–dusted surface and dust more powdered sugar on top. Roll dough until roughly 6 inches across, then dust with powdered sugar, flip upside down, and dust again. Continue rolling until dough is just shy of 1/4 inch thick. Slide a thin offset spatula under dough to loosen any places that might have stuck and cut dough into 2-inch rounds. Arrange cutouts on a parchment-lined aluminum half-sheet pan, leaving about 1/2 inch between cookies. Gather the scraps, briefly knead, and re-roll and cut as before. Repeat with remaining dough, for a total of 50 pieces. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes, and cool to room temperature directly on sheet pan.

Transfer cajeta to a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/4-inch tip. Flip half the cookies bottom side up and pipe a generous dollop of cajeta into the very center, up to 1/2 ounce (4 teaspoons; 14g), or less if you prefer. Alternatively, this can be done with a spoon. Top with remaining wafers and press gently to secure. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. In an airtight container, alfajores will keep 24 hours at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.

If you've never tasted cajeta, you're in for a luscious surprise—a thick, gooey sauce reminiscent of dulce de leche, but exponentially more complex. My method will reduce a quart of goat's milk down to a half cup in less than an hour, concentrating its flavor and consistency. Drizzle it over your favorite ice cream, use it as a dip for apple slices, spread it over cake, or just lick it off a spoon...

Cajeta Casera (Homemade Goat's Milk &quot;Caramel&quot;) Recipe

vanilla bean

(4 cups; 965 grams) fresh goat's milk, preferably UHT (see note)

(3/4 cup; 170 grams) sugar

baking soda

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Split the vanilla bean with a paring knife and scrape out seeds with the flat of the blade; reserve seeds for another use. Combine split vanilla pod with goat’s milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a 5-quart stainless steel pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula, until sugar dissolves and milk turns foamy and light, about 15 minutes.

Continue cooking at a gentle simmer, stirring and scraping the sides of the pot frequently if not constantly, until milk is thick, golden, and reduced to no more than a thin, super-jammy layer, about 45 minutes; stir more frequently as the cajeta thickens to prevent scorching. Continue cooking until cajeta forms a "trail" that remains open for 1 second when a spatula is scraped across the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat. Using tongs, remove and discard vanilla pod. Scrape cajeta into a heat-resistant, wide-mouth glass jar. If the total amount is less than 12 1/2 ounces (1 cup; 355g), thin with a touch of milk or water or else the cajeta will be too thick on cooling. Cajeta can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.

A simple crepe dessert that is easy to prepare and perfect for enjoying seasonal strawberries.

French Crepes and Gluten-Free Oat Crepes with Strawberries and Cajeta

crepes (either traditional French crepes

strawberries

salted butter

honey

vainilla extract

Mexican cajeta or dulce de leche

Prepare the crepes first then set them aside. (You can also make them the day ahead.) Allow the cajeta to come to room temperature while you proceed. Heat a large pan, once hot add a tablespoon or two of butter and allow it to melt. Swirl the butter around in the pan, then add the strawberry pieces. Drizzle in just a little bit of honey (or to taste), then a small splash of vanilla extract. Gently stir to combine the ingredients. Over a medium-low heat allow the strawberries to warm up and release a bit of their juices. Turn off the heat and set aside.

If needed warm up the crepes, make sure the cajeta is now warm and easy to drizzle. Stuff each crepe with some of the strawberry filling, fold into a half moon, and drizzle the cajeta over the crepe(s). Serve with a hot cup of tea or a coffee.

Instructions

Dulce de Leche Mousse from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 7, Episode 11 &quot;New York&quot;

Dulce de Leche Mousse

water

(or gelatin

milk

Dulce de Leche

heavy whipping cream

Pour the water into a medium heatproof bowl and add unflavored gelatin. Stir and let it sit until the mixture puffs up, about 2 minutes. Fill a small saucepan, that can hold the heatproof bowl, with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place the bowl with gelatin on top, stirring occasionally, until gelatin completely dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the milk and Dulce de Leche to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the bowl with the diluted gelatin and mix well. Set the bowl over an ice bath and let mixture cool and begin to set.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Be careful not to overbeat.

Gently fold the cooled dulce de leche caramel mixture into the whipped cream until fully combined. Don’t overmix, so you won’t lose much volume. Pour the mixture into a 6 cup ring mold, bundt pan, or 6 individual ramekins (of 6 to 7 ounces). Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, remove mousse from refrigerator. If using a mold or bundt pan, invert the mousse onto a platter. Top with berries, if desired, or chocolate salami.

Bizcotela Vestida recipe from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 8, Episode 9 “Mocorito, The Land of Chilorio”

Bizcotela Vestida

vanilla extract

eggs

all-purpose flour

baking powder

salt

white coarse sugar or sugar crystals

cajeta or dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter along with the granulated sugar at medium speed for a couple minutes until smooth, creamy, and puffed up. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture and milk in multiple additions, alternating between the two. Continue beating until well incorporated and you have a homogenous dough. Turn off mixer and gather dough into a ball.

Preheat oven to 350°F with the two racks set in the lower and upper thirds. Pour the sugar crystals onto small plate and grease a couple non-stick baking sheets with butter.

Use your hands to make small balls of dough of about 1 1/2- to 2-inches. Flatten slightly and cut 5 short lines around the edge of the disk with scissors, as if making petals, without cutting all the way into the center. Press down gently in the center to make a flower shape. Then flip over and press the top into the sugar crystals and then place right side up on the baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough balls, leaving about an inch of space between the cookies on the baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 30 to 32 minutes, until cooked and barely beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack.

Once cool, make sandwiches with a couple teaspoons of cajeta or dulce de leche in between of two cookies with the sugar side facing outwards.

Cajeta is a thick and gooey Mexican caramel sauce made by boiling and slowly cooking goat&#039;s milk and sugar. Made with only 5 ingredients!

Cajeta (Mexican Caramel)

goats milk, (divided)

cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of goats milk with the baking soda. Set aside.

Place the remaining goats milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a  large Dutch oven or pot over medium to medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.

Remove the pot from the heat and add in the baking soda mixture. The milk will begin to bubble and froth up quickly. Continue stirring. Once the mixture stops bubbling, return the pot to the heat and bring it back to a low simmer.

Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened (about 45-60 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently, especially towards the end of the cooking time, scraping the bottom of the pot so it doesn&#39;t burn. The cajeta is done when you can scrape the mixture aside and see the bottom of the pot.* It should be thick like honey.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

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Cajeta (Mexican Caramel)

Top 6 cajeta recipes from across the web

The most viewed cajeta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Alfajores Con Cajeta (Vanilla Short...

Cajeta Casera (Homemade Goat's Milk...

French Crepes and Gluten-Free Oat C...

Dulce de Leche Mousse

Bizcotela Vestida

Cajeta (Mexican Caramel)

The most viewed cajeta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine