Alfajores

Alfajores Argentinos

Argentina's most iconic sweet: two melt-in-the-mouth cornstarch biscuits sandwiching a thick layer of dulce de leche, with the edges rolled in desiccated coconut. A cup of mate or coffee is the classic companion.

Prep

40 min

Cook

15 min

Total

55 min

Serves

Makes 12 alfajores (24 biscuits)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (1 3/4 cups) cornstarch (maicena), do not substitute with more flour; this is what gives the crumb its tenderness
• •100 g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
• •1 tsp baking powder
• •1/4 tsp fine salt
• •150 g (10 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes; European-style butter gives a richer result
• •100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• •2 whole large egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg if dough feels too dry; reserve whites for another use
• •1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• •1 tbsp lemon zest, optional but traditional in many Argentine recipes
• •400 g (14 oz) dulce de leche, store-bought is fine; thin slightly with 1 tsp milk if very stiff
• •80 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut, unsweetened; for rolling the edges

Steps

1. 1 Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine sand with no large butter lumps. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
2. 2 Stir in the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla. Add the egg yolks and mix with a fork just until a soft dough comes together. If it looks crumbly, add the reserved whole egg; if sticky, chill for 20 minutes. Do not overwork.
3. 3 Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Chilling is essential for clean rolling and for the biscuits to keep their shape.
4. 4 Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan) or 180°C / 350°F (conventional). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
5. 5 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 5 mm / 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 5 cm / 2 inch cutter. Re-roll scraps gently and rest 10 minutes before cutting again.
6. 6 Place rounds on the trays, leaving 2 cm / 3/4 inch between them. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 10-13 minutes, until the tops look dry and the bases are pale gold. They should NOT take on colour on top - pale is correct. Rotate the tray halfway through.
7. 7 Let the biscuits cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They are fragile when warm.
8. 8 Match biscuits into pairs of similar size. Spoon or pipe about 1 1/2 tbsp of dulce de leche onto the flat side of one biscuit of each pair. Top with the second biscuit and press gently to spread the filling to the edges, leaving a small border visible.
9. 9 Spread desiccated coconut in a shallow bowl. Roll just the exposed edge of dulce de leche around the equator of each alfajor so the coconut sticks to the filling all the way around. Do not roll the biscuits themselves.
10. 10 Rest the assembled alfajores on a tray for at least 1 hour at room temperature so the dulce de leche firms up slightly before serving. They keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; the biscuit softens and absorbs the filling over time, which is considered the ideal texture.