So, the other day, I got this idea stuck in my head. Bolivian desserts. No idea where it came from, just one of those weird cravings, you know? I figured, what the heck, let’s give it a whirl. I’m always up for trying new things in the kitchen, keeps things interesting.
First off, I had to figure out what to even make. Pulled up the internet and started looking around. Lots of complicated stuff, way too much effort for a Tuesday, let me tell you. But then I saw Buñuelos. Looked like little fried dough things. Simple enough, right? And then Alfajores. Those little cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche? Yeah, had to try those. Seemed like a good pair to tackle.
Off to the store I went. For the Buñuelos, the main bits I needed were pretty straightforward. Things like:
- Flour, of course
- A bit of sugar
- Baking powder
- Anise seeds – these are key for the flavor!
- An egg
- Some warm water
Pretty simple stuff, really. For the Alfajores, the recipes were screaming about cornstarch. Like, a lot of cornstarch. And dulce de leche, the real thick kind, not that runny stuff. Took me a while to find a good brand of that, but I managed.
I decided to start with the Buñuelos. Seemed like the easier win. I got a big bowl. Dumped in the flour, sugar, a pinch of salt, baking powder, and those anise seeds. The smell of anise always reminds me of my grandma, though she never made Bolivian stuff. Anyway, cracked an egg in there. Then I started adding warm water, little by little. The recipe said “sticky but manageable dough.” Well, mine was leaning heavily on the sticky side. For a minute there, I thought I’d made glue. But I kept at it, kneaded it a bit on a floured surface, and it eventually came together. Sort of. Covered it with a cloth and let it rest. The waiting is always the hardest part for me.
Then, the frying. Got my trusty old pan out. Poured in a decent amount of oil. You gotta have enough oil, otherwise they just soak it up and get greasy. Waited for it to get hot. Did the old bread-crumb test – sizzled right away. Perfect. I took small pieces of dough, flattened them out with my fingers, made them sort of roundish with a hole in the middle. My first few looked more like amoebas than donuts, but hey, rustic charm, right? Carefully dropped them into the hot oil. They puffed up pretty quick! That was cool to see. Flipped them over when they were golden brown. Pulled them out, let them drain on some paper towels. While they were still warm, I dusted them with a mix of powdered sugar and a bit of cinnamon. They weren’t perfectly uniform, but they smelled incredible.
Alright, Buñuelos done (and a few already taste-tested, purely for quality control, you understand). Time for the Alfajores. This dough was different. So much cornstarch! Mixed it with flour, sugar, baking powder. Then came the butter. And egg yolks. The dough felt incredibly soft, almost crumbly. The recipe warned me – “handle with care.” No kidding. I chilled it for a bit, then rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper. That was a lifesaver. Cutting out the little circles was a delicate operation. Some of them broke. Cursed a little under my breath, not gonna lie.
Baked them at a pretty low temperature. They’re not supposed to get very brown, just sort of pale and cooked through. Watched them like a hawk. Pulled them out, let them cool completely. This is crucial. Try to assemble them warm, and you’ll have a sticky, crumbly mess. Once they were cool, I got out the dulce de leche. Spread a good dollop on one cookie, topped it with another. Some recipes said to roll the edges in coconut, so I did that for a few. Made them look a bit fancier.
So, there I was, with a plate of homemade Buñuelos and Alfajores. The Buñuelos were light, a little crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with that lovely hint of anise. Perfect with a cup of strong coffee. The Alfajores? Oh man. They just melted in your mouth. The cookies were so tender, and that creamy dulce de leche… absolutely divine. Some of them were a bit lopsided, some of the Buñuelos were weird shapes, but who cares? They tasted amazing.
It was a fun afternoon. A bit messy, sure. My kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off. But it’s always satisfying to make something new, something from a different part of the world. And these Bolivian treats? Definitely going into my baking rotation. Maybe next time I’ll even try to make my own dulce de leche. Or maybe not. That stuff looks like a whole other level of patience.
