Destination
Arequipa
The story
King Kong is Peru's most-shared regional sweet: a large rectangular pastry brick from the northern coastal city of Lambayeque, built from three or four layers of very thin sweet biscuit stacked between fillings of manjar blanco (Peruvian dulce de leche), pineapple jam and sometimes fig or lucuma preserves. The whole thing is wrapped in cellophane, sold from bakery counters and bus stations across northern Peru, and eaten in sliced pieces with a small cup of coffee. The name comes from the 1933 King Kong film — a Lambayeque baker's daughter thought her father's giant new pastry looked like the film's giant ape, and the name stuck.
Method
If making from scratch: place the unopened tin of condensed milk in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2 hours, topping up water so the tin stays covered. Let cool completely in the pot. Open — the contents will be thick, golden manjar blanco. If using pre-made, skip.
Combine diced pineapple, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick and jammy. Stir in orange blossom water off the heat. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar and salt. Rub in cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Whisk yolks, milk and vanilla; pour into the flour and mix with a fork until just combined. Bring together into a smooth ball. Divide into 4 equal portions. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175C. Line 2 baking sheets. Working with one portion at a time: roll the dough between baking paper into a rectangle 18cm x 24cm and 5mm thick. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until pale golden and firm. Cool completely on a rack. Repeat until you have 4 identical biscuit rectangles.
Once all biscuits are cool, trim each with a sharp knife to identical rectangles (16cm x 22cm). Reserve the trimmings for another use.
On a serving board or tray, lay the first biscuit rectangle. Spread with a thick even layer of manjar blanco (about 3mm thick). Lay the second biscuit on top and press gently. Spread with pineapple jam. Lay the third biscuit. Spread with another layer of manjar blanco. Top with the fourth biscuit.
Wrap the assembled brick tightly in cling film. Set a heavy tray or plate on top to compress. Refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Unwrap. Dust the top with icing sugar. Slice with a very sharp knife (warmed in hot water and dried between cuts) into rectangles 4cm x 8cm. Serve with coffee or a glass of milk. Wrap remaining pieces in cellophane for gifts. Keeps 5 days at room temperature.
Tips
- Slice with a warm sharp knife. Dip in hot water and dry between cuts. Room-temperature knife squashes the layers.
- Overnight chill. Do not skip. The overnight rest firms the biscuit-and-jam layers into a sliceable brick. Same-day slicing gives you a crumbling mess.
- Thick manjar blanco layers. The classical King Kong has generous filling layers — 3mm minimum. Thin layers give you a dry pastry.
- Make components ahead. Manjar blanco holds a week in the fridge. Pineapple jam holds 2 weeks. Biscuit rectangles hold 2 days in a sealed container. Assembly is quick.
- Cellophane wrap is classical. In Lambayeque, King Kong is sold wrapped in bright cellophane like a gift. Wrapping individual slices makes them portable and adds to the party-food feel.
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