Print

Alfajores

Golden alfajores sandwich cookies filled with caramel on cooling rack
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Ready to take a trip to Peru without leaving your kitchen? Alfajores are a classic dessert with a fascinating history. These delicate, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies are made with a secret ingredient—cornstarch—that makes them impossibly light. They’re then sandwiched with a velvety, rich caramel filling called manjar blanco (or dulce de leche). It’s a simple dessert that delivers an incredible flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Manjar Blanco (Caramel Filling)

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • Pinch of salt (optional)

For the Shortbread Cookies

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup cornstarch, sifted
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 large egg yolk (optional)

For Assembly

  • Sifted powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the Manjar Blanco:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour condensed milk into a small oven-safe dish. Add cinnamon stick and salt (if using). Cover tightly with foil.
  • Place the small dish in a larger, oven-safe dish. Fill the larger dish halfway with warm water to create a water bath.
  • Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, adding more water to the bath if needed. It will turn a deep caramel color.
  • Remove from oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Set aside.

2. Prepare the Cookies:

  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the room-temperature butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and egg yolk until just combined.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed until a dough forms. Do not overmix!
  • Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is a crucial step!

3. Bake and Assemble:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ to ½ inch thick.
  • Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to stamp out cookies. Carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Score the tops of half of the cookies with a fork.
  • Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are firm but still pale with no color on the edges.
  • Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
  • Once cool, pipe or spoon a dollop of the manjar blanco onto a flat cookie, then gently top with a second cookie.
  • Roll the sides of the assembled cookie in sifted powdered sugar.

Notes

Serving Suggestions:

  • Serve them on a beautiful platter with coffee or tea.
  • They’re also great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips & Tricks:

  • The dough is delicate, so be gentle! An offset spatula is your best friend for moving them.
  • Don’t skip the chilling time. It prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
  • Make sure your butter is at room temperature to get that perfect creamy texture.
  • You can use store-bought dulce de leche to save time, but the homemade manjar blanco is a game-changer.

Storage:

  • Store the alfajores in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
  • They actually get better over time as the cookies absorb moisture from the filling.
  • You can make the manjar blanco up to two weeks in advance. The cookie dough can be made a day or two ahead as well.

Find it online: https://recipesh.com/alfajores/