Alfajor Cookie Sandwiches from Argentina

Dulce de leche is a sweet local milk-based spread not too much unlike Singaporean kaya, but brown in color rather than green. Spread between two cookies, this creates alfajor, which basically could be described as an Latin American version of kaya toast or PB&J sandwiches.

We grabbed two different versions at a random corner coffeeshop today: a small alfajor caicayen and a bigger alfajor de maicena, the key difference being the the type of cookie being used (apparently there are all sorts of other varieties around, including from the neighboring countries). This non-bread eater preferred the more compact former rather than the bigger fluffier latter, but in the end, the real treat was the spread itself, which had just the right degree of richness, sweetness, and thickness.

The spread is used quite heavily around here; I encountered some of it stuffed inside another random pastry at breakfast today, as well as inside a churro. So not all food around here is meat-based after all!

While we were at it, we also grabbed some cups of hot chocolate, something I failed to get on my last trip to Spain. We're not talking about any of that instant powdered Carnation crap we are used to. This stuff was about twice as thick...and unsweetened at that (sugar is of course at your disposal if desired). It probably wouldn't be too elegant to add Peppermint Schnapps to something so velvety though. :)