Alfajores –the Uruguayan Twinkie

If you have read anything at all about Uruguay, or know our family from the States, you’ve heard of Dulce de Leche. Uruguayos love, I mean really love, this stuff. It is basically sweetened condensed milk that has been boiled until it caramelizes. It is in almost everything that aspires to sweetness.

The ice cream stores have no less than 3, and sometimes up to 8 variations on the theme. The bakeries have bizcochos, masa finas, and tortas all filled with it. Candy comes in dulce de leche flavor. You can buy ice-cream cones dipped in chocolate and then filled with it. Its aisle (yes, a whole aisle) in the grocery store is rivaled in selection only by the Yerba Mate aisle. BUT, dulce de leche reaches its true potential when it is sandwiched into an alfajor, and not just any brand, but the Punta Ballena brand, the Negro (Black) variety. I could go on and on about the perfection of this carb-packed plum of a treat.

The best way to truly get across the idea is to remember what a Twinkie tasted like when you were a kid. Not the way they taste now, to your grown-up sensibilities, but how sweet, and creamy and wonderful they tasted when you were little and got one for a treat. That is how I describe the sensation of eating one. Now, I am a complete food snob, and wouldn't be caught dead eating a Twinkie (though I loved them as a kid), but I proudly proclaim the merits of his alfajor to anyone.

The best part is that they come in two sizes, so you can get all of the loveliness in a very little package, and for only 5 pesos—or 10 if you are splurging on the big ones.There are lots of brands and varieties--90% of them taste like chalk. (The Uruguayans have an affinity for dry, crumbly baked goods, so don't ask for their advice on the matter.) Our family is loyal to the Punta Ballena brand. Aaron and I get the Negro (dark chocolate) variety, and the kids love the Surprise edition. The reason I am waxing eloquent about the alfajor is to laud its place as a motivational tool. Not as a bribe, but as an occasional reward for the little kiddies. For example "Hey guys, if your piano lessons go well, and you do your best, here is 10 pesos for some alfajores on the way home."

Hey, it works! Candy bars are not a big thing here, alfajores are. When in Uruguay, do as the Uruguayans.

When Aaron went back to the States in May, the only thing he brought from Uruguay to share with the family was a suitcase full of alfajores. I heard that they were pretty well received.

Well, this was just a little side-note about the pleasures of living in Uruguay…Which is your favorite?