What do you think about preparing these exquisite whole wheat cornstarch sandwich cookies? A recipe that with few ingredients and without complications, you will obtain in an easy and simple way, some exquisite sandwich cookies! Ideal for snacks, breakfasts, parties and birthdays! And best of all, they are made without butter!
From Spanish origin, the alfajores (sandwich cookies), whose name comes from the Arabic Hispanic al-hasú which means “the filling”. It consists of two or more cookies joined by different types of fillings, such as dulce de leche (caramel milk), quince paste, chocolate mousse, etc. And that, optionally, can be bathed with a chocolate coating, glaze, or sprinkled with impalpable sugar.
Due to its great popularity and worldwide diffusion through the centuries, different types of sandwich cookies with their own characteristics were born. In Argentina, for example, sandwich cookies from Santa Fe, Córdoba, and Tucumán are very popular. The one that each province was adapting this sandwich cookies to its own style of elaboration, using different types of ingredients.
Finishing this brief introduction about the history of “alfajores” (sandwich cookies’ history), today I teach you how to prepare a whole wheat cornstarch sandwich cookies recipe. Maizena or cornstarch is a gluten-free ingredient, which is used in different preparations suitable for celiac. Although these sandwich cookies, given their mixed composition with whole wheat flour, are not gluten-free.
Let’s talk a bit about the recipe:
These whole wheat sandwich cookies are simple to make, they do not require a great deal of experience in their elaboration. The ingredients used are few, frequently used and easy to find. On this occasion, I made these sandwich cookies filled with caramel milk (dulce de leche). But they can also be made in a fruity version, for example, using quince paste, sweet potato paste or your preference.
About the ingredients:
At Integralisimo, the whole wheat flour used is 100% whole grain, organic fine grind (I don’t use mixes unless I mention it). In general, depending on its brand, it can absorb more or less amount of liquid. So I recommend incorporating them gradually. Keep in mind that the lower the volume is, smaller final product you will get.
The type of fat used in this opportunity is sunflower oil. But it can be replaced with margarine, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. As a result, depending on which fat is used, its texture can be modified. Therefore, the type of ingredient that is used to make a specific recipe should always be taken into account.
The type of sweet that is used for its filling is at your choice. Among the available options are pastry sweet caramel, quince paste, etc. But the choice of the same must be taken into account, because the type of sweet to be used has to be of a thick consistency. In this way, being thick, it will facilitate the filling, its consumption and storage will be more thorough.
To fill these whole wheat cornstarch sandwich cookies and make this task easier, you can use a pastry bag. In general, paste sweets, such as quince, are sold in block form. So to get a creamy consistency, it needs to be softened before use. In this way, the sweet is as if it were a cream, much easier to manipulate.
Softening the sweet is not difficult, since it only needs to be exposed to heat. To do this, it can be done traditionally in a water bath or use the microwave. Whatever the choice, do not forget to stir to obtain that homogeneous aspect or not to burn the sweet. If it is dry, the solution is to add a little water or milk depending on the type of sweet.
About the dough:
In this opportunity, a dough without elasticity is prepared. Therefore, it is not kneaded so that the gluten does not develop, and a chewy dough is not obtained. It is enough just to combine the ingredients, without the need to be completely homogeneous. When using butter or margarine, it is integrated cold and in small pieces, forming a grit with the hands or food processor.
One of the secrets to obtain good sandwich cookies is the consistency of the preparation. The dough needs to be a little sticky and not dry, to obtain soft and not heavy sandwich cookies. So when shaping these sandwich cookies, some sticking is inevitable. For this reason, when stretching, you need to sprinkle with whole wheat flour.
To shape the dough you can use a round cookie cutter, glass, lid, etc. However, the round shape is optional, since it will not differ in terms of flavor or texture even if its appearance is different. Therefore, if you don’t want to complicate yourself, prepare this sandwich cookies in the easiest and most practical way for you.
Generally, whole cane sugar because it contains more moisture, tends to harden, and more when it is not preserved correctly. As a consequence, hard parts remain in the preparation without dissolving and once baked, these do not disintegrate completely, which is why they are visualized in the result.
One way to avoid this inconvenience is to sift the whole cane sugar before making the recipe. Although icing cane sugar can be used for smoother results in whole grain fine pastry recipes. Likewise, they look good, but it is always good to know details regarding aesthetics, and even more so when they will be used to sell, for example.
About cooking:
Baking these whole wheat cornstarch sandwich cookies requires little time. And like any whole grain recipe, if you are punctual, much better. Therefore, it is important to adapt the baking according to the type of oven that is available, since each home has a different one, with a particular baking. Once the sandwich cookies lids are cold, proceed to fill them with sweet.
When the sandwich cookies are filled from one day to the next, before storing, it is advisable to leave the lids on a rack for a few hours. Due to the moisture of the whole grain ingredients, if they are stored barely cool, when stacked for storage, they may stick together. So letting them air out a bit would be convenient.
Finally, the sandwich cookies can be covered with different types of coating or in the classic way with grated coconut. This will not only give it that distinguished touch, but it will also prevent the sandwich cookies from sticking or getting dirty with the sweet filling as a consequence. In this way, storage or transport will be done in a more neat way.
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