Directions:

VEGAN COCONUT DULCE DE LECHE

• 1. In a saucepan, make a dry caramel with the first amount of sugar.
• 2. In another pot, gently warm the coconut milk with the glucose
• 3. Once the caramel reaches 356°F, deglaze with the warm coconut milk, stirring well until fully combined.
• 4. In a small bowl, mix the pectin with the second amount of sugar. Add this mixture to the saucepan with the coconut milk caramel. Stir until dissolved.
• 5. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens to desired consistency. Add vanilla paste and sea salt. Stir until dissolved.
• 6. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store refrigerated until needed.

VEGAN ALFAJORES

• 1. In food processor, sift together the corn starch, powdered sugar, gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, and ground vanilla beans.
• 2. Add cold, cubed vegan butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• 3. With the processor running, slowly add the plant base milk, rum, and vanilla extract. Mix until the dough just comes together into a ball.
• 4. Remove dough from processor, wrap in plastic, and rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• 5. Roll dough out to about 2 mm thickness between two sheets of parchment paper or on a surface lightly dusted with gluten-free flour.
• 6. Cut dough into heart shapes, place on a perforated baking tray lined with perforated mats. Freeze the cookies for about 20 minutes before baking.
• 7. Bake in a preheated oven at 320°F between two perforated baking mats until the edges of the cookies become slightly tanned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the tray.
• 8. Place a small amount of the Vegan Coconut Dulce de Leche on one cookie and top with a second to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
• 9. Decorate edges of cookies with shredded coconut. Alfajores will last for about 5 days in an air-tight container at room temperature, or up to a month if frozen.