Tasting your first alfajor may be a defining moment. Mine was in my kitchen, on a lockdown Sunday in April. I cut it in half, and offered half to my eldest, who declined it before changing her mind when she heard the noises I started to emit.
Alfajores (pronounced al-fa-ho-res) are traditional Latin American treats, often sold in kiosks, and are usually two soft biscuits around dulce de leche and coated in chocolate; veritably God’s own creation.
At least that’s what my alfajor was, like a hockey puck made of chocolate and biscuit and squidginess and sent straight from heaven but, actually, exquisitely handmade by Argentinian chocolatier Maria Romero at Sur Chocolates, whose mission it is to gourmet up the alfajor.
She makes a few variations and I revelled in all of them. I tested six different flavours and spent the rest of the week in elasticated waistbands. My favourite was the most traditional of all, the Negro 70%, absolutely exquisite and straight into my top 10 of most excellent chocolate things eaten of all time.
I can’t imagine a nicer, more original present to send to someone – and that includes yourself – at the moment than a gift box of these: six for £25. The Cambalanche is a preselected assortment and the one I recommend you start with.
While you’re there, other big hits were the Rama in milk (divine), the dark dulce de leche bars, which were voted ‘one of the best chocolate bars ever’ in my house, and the rum truffles.
