Alfahors could quite possibly be, the best things to ever come out of the country of Peru. Little flour cookies (kind of like shortbread) sandwiching fresh dulche du leche, they are dusted in powdered sugar, and simply amazing. I have been known to inhale a box of 8 small sandwiches before the bakery was out of walking sight.
Custom in Latin America is to take gifts whenever visiting someone. I took a box of alfahors, sunflowers, and stickers with me when I met Maria and her family. Ironically, I climbed into their car and they had a box from La Casa del Alfahors waiting for me! We laughed, and then dug in. Later that night, I opened my box of 20, which was more like 16, and offered a taste to Leah and Laurie, my roommates. They both liked the cookies a little too much for my liking. They next morning, after they left for placement, I realized I only had 6 left, and decided I better have an after-breakfast snack, just so I would not have to share them later!
Laurie and I discovered La Casa del Alfahors on our walk the next day. She gave me the most unkindly look when I grabbed her hand and dashed for the door. When she realized where I had actually taken her, she giggled like a little girl. There were alfahors everywhere! Regular, cookies with chocolate, regular rolled in coconut...you name it, they had it! I swear the entire store basked in a wonderful faint glow. We each chose a personal alfahor size to snarf down that very moment. Then we realized they sold kits with the cookies and dulche de leche, so you could make your own at home. It was as if all the planets aligned and everything was right in the world. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh.
Needless to say, we each traveled home with kits! My last day in Peru, I decided to forgo a museum visit, just so I could make one more visit to an alfahor bakery. Is that bad?
I made some alfahors last week for my family to try. I made 18, and everyone was allowed 3 cookies. You can only imagine the arguments that broke out. There are some slow pokes who took their time coming for their cookies. Bet they were sorry... Now, then, when to make the rest of the kit??