Alfajores

Alfajores are an absolutly delectable dessert! They consist of two cookies with dulce de leche (kind of like caramel) between them and are usually then rolled in powdered sugar. Alfajores are a very popular dessert in Central and South America, especially Argentina where my grandparents are from.

Alfajores seem to have originated in Spain with ties to the Middle East. It seems they were brought over to South America in the 16th century. Alfajores morphed from a nutty dessert into one using milk (for the dulce de leche) and occasionally chocolate.

There are plenty of varieties of dulce de leche available for purchase, or you can make your own from sweetened condensed milk (recipes available online). One of our favorites is this one, La Serenisima.

If you don’t want to make these cookies, they are readily available for purchase. My dad grew up eating these alfajores, one of the most popular brands from Argentina. They offer chocolate and powdered sugar ones. Click here.

There are many different versions of alfajores. Some substitute peanut butter for dulce de leche, while others are dipped in chocolate instead of being rolled in powered sugar. My personal favorites though are the traditional ones with dulce de leche and rolled in powered sugar.

Ingredients

Down below is the list of ingredients you will need to make approximately 30 Alfajores (depends on their size).

• 2 cups of corn starch
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 4 egg yolks
• dulce de leche, mainly found canned in stores (there is no specific amount you need, it will just depend on how much you want between the cookies)
• powdered sugar

Making the Alfajores

The first thing you will want to do is preheat your oven to 350°F.

Next, beat the egg yolks and the sugar for 3 minutes. Add in the butter and beat until combined.

In a small bowl mix the baking powder and cornstarch. Stir the cornstarch and baking powder mixture with the butter mixture using a spatula.

Then knead with your hands until the dough is not sticky. (If the dough is to odry, add a splash of milk, if too sticky, add a bit of cornstarch).

Roll out your dough to about an 1/8 inch on a floured(corn starch) counter or rolling mat

Next cut the rolled dough into circles either using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. The smaller you make them, the less likely they are to break when you assemble them. Place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake around 8 minutes or until they start to brown. If you bake them too long, they will become more brittle and break more easily when you try to assemble the cookies.

To assemble the alfajores, spread a layer of dulce de leche between two cookies, then roll the alfajor in powdered sugar.

Enjoy! My favorite way to eat alfajores is with a glass of milk.

Click here for the free printable version of this recipe!

I did make a couple of changes to this recipe, but it originally came from Peru Delights.