Christmas Presents for the Family

Have you ever had that moment when you have no idea how to be smart about shopping for gifts? This year has been a little tight for me and my family. With Christmas approaching and everything else that was going on around my family, Christmas shopping was the last thing on our minds. I decided to think about a better idea for gifts for my family. They say a way to a guy's anyone's heart is through their stomach. So why not bake something exquisitely delicious for our loved ones? The critically acclaimed Chilenas de Dulce de Leche (Alfajores) were the first thing that popped to my mind. I think I would like one of these Christmas boxes as well. This was a perfect way to save up money and make my family smile.


I followed the following steps:

1. I went shopping for the Christmas boxes and all of the ingredients for the cookies
2. I designed a Christmas card in Microsoft Office Word and printed them out on thick printing paper
3. I baked the cookies as the recipe describes
4. I placed wax paper inside the boxes and added about a dozen cookies 
5. I wrote a heart-felt note on the Christmas card
6. Delivered them with joy! 

{I baked the star-shaped alfajores to take to our family Christmas dinner for everyone to enjoy as well as a batch of homemade oreos (recipe coming up soon)}

Little Things

It's crazy how a person's life can change in a matter of seconds. I have a strong feeling inside of me that tells me that God is in control. I may not understand why, but the loving bond that has spurred inside my family has filled me with hope. I swear I have the best family in the world. To any teenage girl out there, I promise it gets better. I can't imagine how Christmas this year will be like without my grandfather (nagging about how I'm too young to wear high heels), but whatever God has in store for me and my family, I know that we will be together. Nevertheless, I know my grandfather would like for us to smile through the season. Christmas is right around the corner!  

{Reading Divergent by Veronica Roth on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while being hugged by the wind and kissed by the sun}

{After finishing Divergent, I felt completely lost. Luckily, the next day my super mom surprised me with the next book of the trilogy, Insurgent}

{First batch of Christmas cookies for the season: Butter Lemon Cookies}

{Baking Chilenas de Dulce de Leche (Alfajores) as a Christmas gift for my family. They appear to have been drizzled by snow.}

{Improvised desert: a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sliced frozen strawberries, slivered almonds, and chocolate chips}

Guilty Pleasures

This week was just one of those weeks. My mom left on a trip to Argentina, leaving me basically steering the wheel of my entire household. On top of that, every teacher decided to assign projects, essays, and tests for the end of the quarter. Even worse, my physical condition was suffering from a slight female issue (if you know what I mean). As I'm sure you all have heard, STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS, and consequently, like any other hormonal teenage girl I tend to binge eat and wipe out anything sweet you place in front of me-literally. But don't worry, I waited till Friday night to indulge on the devilish Hershey kisses I stole from my mother's closet since she wasn't here (oops). I have no regrets. 

{Stress reliever on a Friday night after a LONG week: Hershey's kisses}

{Family lunch at Ruby Tuesday's: New York Cheesecake and Double Chocolate Cake for dessert}

{Best gift from my mother's trip to Argentina: Havanna Alfajores}

Little Things

The long-awaited sixteenth birthday I've been mentioning in previous posts finally came. To celebrate my sweet sixteen, I opened the doors of my residence up in the mountain of El Hatillo to my closest friends and families. We enjoyed a wonderful Saturday starlit evening of all of my favorite things. To begin, an exquisite pina colada made by my wonderful mother. To nibble on, chips and salsa, plantain chips and creamy onion dip, and my rich and fudgey brownies. As a main dish, we had a variety of tacos and gringas (chicken, beef, or pork), topped with pico de gallo, guacamole, and spicy sauces. To end the night, we lit up 16 candles on a pastel-colored, ballet slipper inspired vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling. Nothing gets better than this.

{Sweet sixteen cake: vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling, vanilla frosting, and fondant ballet slippers, of course}

{Sunday treat: original flavored frozen yogurt topped with strawberries and blueberries}

Last week was overwhelming and tiring. Lately, that's what sophomore year seems to be going. However, I value every little time I have to spare to do all of my favorite things, like going on movie -dinner dates and shopping sprees with my mom. After watching the hottest man alive, Channing Tatum, on White House Down, we encountered this lovely yet tiny ring and I completeley fell inlove with it. We ended our night with a dinner at our favorite gourmet burger place and split an enormously indulgent burger with a side of crispy and sodium-infused fries.

{Gold-pink tiny infinity ring}

{Last Saturday's craving: In and Out's Bourbon Chicken Burger.}

Chilenas de Dulce De Leche (Alfajores)

The combination of a semi-salty cookie that dissolves in your mouth at every bite with the decadent sweetness of a dulce de leche filling make this cookie a piece of heaven on earth. Surprisingly, chilenas are so easy to make and have a great impact on anyone who tries them. It has become a ritual for my mom and I to enjoy a cup of fresh, warm coffee with a chilena on the side at our favorite cafe shop as a pick-me-up on busy Saturday mornings or leisurely afternoons. When my best friend pulled out this recipe from a pile of stored papers, we could not resist the urge to make them and we were certainly not disappointed. Now to be able to enjoy them in the coziness of our homes and to be proud of the work that we did is a thousand times better than that same old cafe shop. 



Chilenas de Dulce de Leche (Alfajores)
This recipe makes approximately 20 sandwich cookies
Baking Time: About 15-17 min. at 325F
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 bars of butter (unsalted is best)
• 6-8 tablespoons of powdered sugar, plus more for powdering

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in an electric mixer, adding the butter first and then the dry ingredients.
2. Divide the dough and roll it out so that it is not so skinny. (Do not touch the dough too much because the butter makes it delicate to heat and will make it harder to work with).
3. Cut out even circles and lay them on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for about 15-17 minutes at 325F. (Take them out when they are starting to appear golden).
5. Once they are cool, add the dulce de leche filling (Be careful! They break easily). This can be substituted for any kind of fruit jam or even nutella! Sprinkle sifted powdered sugar on top. 
6. Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee (Honestly, nothing better than this. It's heaven.)