What are Alfajores?
Alfajores are an amazing traditional sweet treat that comes from Argentina. They are soft and tender sandwich cookies with a filling of caramelly dulce de leche. Usually, they’re rolled in shredded coconut and dusted with powdered sugar. These South American cookies are a delicious combination of simple flavors and varied textures that make them irresistibly good! I love trying dessert recipes from countries all around the globe! If you do too, be sure to try my Brazilian Carrot Cake, Canadian Nanaimo Bars, and Polish Kolackzi Cookies.
South American Alfajores
Simple Sandwich Cookies – I love how sandwich cookies look much more difficult to make than they actually are! These soft cut-out cookies are just as easy to make as any other type of cookie, but with a second step that has you adding a delicious dulce de leche filling. Traditional Flavors and Authentic Recipe – There are many ways to make alfajores, depending on the country you’re eating them in. This recipe most closely resembles Argentinian alfajores, but you’ll find similar dulce de leche sandwich cookies in Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Spain. Amazing Textures – These cookies are soft and tender and melt-in-your-mouth (similar to shortbread). Paired with decadent dulce de leche caramel and crisp shredded coconut, alfajores might look simple, but the varied textures make them sophisticated too.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make alfajores from scratch:
Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter for baking – this allows us to control the amount of salt in the cookie dough. Allow the butter to soften to room temperature before starting. Egg and Egg Yolk: Adding an extra yolk to the cookie dough makes it extra tender and richly flavored. Vanilla: Good quality vanilla extract is a must for the most delicious cookies. Cornstarch: This is blended with flour and baking powder to make up the dry ingredient mixture. Cornstarch added to cookie recipes keeps them soft and light. Dulce de Leche: This is the only ingredient needed to make the filling for the cookies. Look for it in a can or jar near the baking supplies, or make your own from scratch if you prefer.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Alfajore Cookies
Recipe Tips
Avoid overmixing. To keep these cookies light and tender, you should avoid handling the dough too much. Only mix in the flour until you can’t see it anymore. Chill the dough. This is an important step, as the butter in the cookie dough needs to be cold before the cookies are baked. This gives them their wonderful texture and helps them to hold their shape. Make them small. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter or smaller to cut out the circles. Since each alfajore is two cookies, you don’t want them to be too big. Plain or fluted circle cookie cutters work well, but you can use other shapes too. Cool the cookies completely before adding the filling. Warm cookies will melt the dulce de leche and make a mess! Use a piping bag or a sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to add the dulce de leche to the alfajores. Piping rather than spreading will keep the cookies looking neat.
Storing Tips
Store alfajores in a single layer in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They are fine at room temperature and will be best if eaten soon after baking since the cookies will absorb moisture from the dulce de leche and become soft with time.
Can the dough for Alfajores be made ahead of time?
Sure! This simple cookie dough freezes very well. Wrap the dough in an airtight bag or container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw before baking according to the recipe.
Do I have to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, please! Unchilled dough will be too warm to hold its shape in the oven and the cookies will spread and be too thin. I recommend chilling for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Alfajores sandwich cookies are such a delicious treat and so fun and easy to make! Don’t forget to save this recipe, and be sure to share it with your friends! © Little Sunny Kitchen
