Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies)
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and King Arthur Baking.
Soft, melt-in-the-mouth cornflour cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and finished with a roll of desiccated coconut around the edge.
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Method
- 1
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Keeping these combined and ready means they mix into the creamed butter evenly in one go.
- 2
Cream butter and sugar. Beat the butter and caster sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until pale, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the vanilla and lemon zest. Adding the yolks gradually keeps the mixture smooth rather than curdling.
- 3
Add the dry mix. Add the dry ingredients on low speed and mix only until just combined. The high share of cornflour here is what gives these cookies their signature melting, crumbly texture rather than a chewy one.
- 4
Chill the dough. Pat the dough into two discs, wrap and chill for 1 hour. Chilling firms up the butter so the dough is easier to roll and holds its shape when cut.
- 5
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan) for at least 20 minutes before baking. A gentle, properly heated oven bakes these pale cookies through without letting them brown.
- 6
Roll and cut. Roll the dough between sheets of baking paper to 5mm thick and cut into 5cm rounds, spacing them 2cm apart. Working between baking paper stops this soft, delicate dough sticking as you roll it.
- 7
Bake until set but pale. Bake one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set and dry on top but still pale, with no browning. Staying pale matters here, as any colour means they've dried out too much and will lose their soft, crumbly bite.
- 8
Cool carefully. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, as the cookies are very fragile straight from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Handling them too soon can crack or crumble them before they've firmed up.
- 9
Fill and finish. Spread about 2 tsp of dulce de leche on half the cookies, top with the remaining cookies and press gently so the filling reaches the edge. Roll the exposed edges in desiccated coconut.
- 10
Rest before serving. Leave the filled cookies to rest for 1 hour; they are even better the next day, once the filling has had time to soften the cookies slightly.
Storage
Store filled alfajores in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week if your kitchen is warm. Unfilled cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months; fill once thawed.
Equipment
- 2 large metal baking trays lined with baking paper
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- rolling pin
- baking paper for rolling
- 5 cm round cutter
- palette knife
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 168 kcal |
| Protein | 2.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.5 g |
| of which sugars | 11.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 11.6 g |
| Fat | 7.7 g |
| of which saturates | 4.9 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.17 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
