Alfajores

The easy name for this Latin delight is Argentinian cookies. I grew up eating them, whether they were baked homemade or from a plastic baggie. Being half Argentine, I’m lucky to be exposed to amazing cuisine. 

First off, what are alfajores? Pronounced al-fah-haw-rez, these sweet treats originate in Spain. Normally, they’re a flour-based cookie that can be filled with chocolate, fruit paste, or dulce de leche, a milk-based caramel-like cream. They would then be entirely covered in a chocolate glaze. The recipe further evolved in the Americas, around the 1850s, where they would then be made with a cornflour base and coated in coconut shavings along the rims of the cookie. 

The recipe we’ll be discussing today is a further developed and personalized method, called Alfajores De Maicena, translated to cornstarch alfajores. They’re much smaller than regular alfajores but perfect with some tea, yerba, or mate!

What you’ll need:

Dulce de leche (can be bought at your local grocery store in the Latin section)

Coconut flakes

A pipe bag

Spatula

Baking trays

A large bowl

A smaller bowl

Parchment paper

Cookie cutouts (around 3cm big)

¾ cup of sugar

3 ½ cups of cornstarch

⅔ cup of all-purpose flour

7 teaspoons (or 180g) of butter

2 teaspoons of baking powder

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Zest from half of a lemon

Be aware that by following this recipe, you could be making up to 50 alfajores (though it won’t feel like it because they’ll be gone and eaten real quick).

If you’re more of a visual learner, the video below will help you follow the recipe closely.

https://youtu.be/qB1ICj-Fy7c?si=qjOqM8D4ROWrQZPU

Instructions:

-Mix together the sugar, vanilla extract, and the butter fully

-Add the lemon zest

-Then add each egg once at a time and mix completely before adding the next egg

-Sift each of the dry ingredients into the bowl

-Gently fold the powders into the dough with a spatula

-Mix and form your dough into a ball

-Divide the dough into halves and reroll into a ball

-Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten it

-Place it into the fridge for 2 hours

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

-Once done, add some flour to the now hard dough and roll it out evenly

-Once rolled to about 6mm thick

-Then cut out the cookies with the cookie cutter, leaving some space in between each circle on the tray

-Place into the oven for 11-13 minutes

-Keep in mind the dough must still be cold before placing the cookies into the oven; if they’ve gotten warm, just chill them again for 5-10 minutes before putting them in

-Place your dulce de leche into a small bowl (if it's been placed into the refrigerator and cannot be piped, just microwave the bowl with some water and mix to soften it)

-Now put some of it into your piping bag and sandwich your cookies

-Some dulce de leche should be sticking out of the sides to have a spot that the coconut flakes can stick to

-Roll your cookies in the coconut flakes

Then you’re all done! You’ve made Argentinian-style alfajores. Be sure to share them with friends or family to spread the good word of Argentinian sweets. I personally recommend having them with a drink of some sort due to the texture being on the drier side. 

Credits to my aunt for lending me her recipe and helping me with instructions and providing other sources to follow this recipe!