Alfajores de maicena, delicious melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread cookies from Argentina, made with cornstarch and filled with Dulce de Leche then rolled in coconut.
Anything with Dulce De Leche is always good! This recipe is a wonderful Argentinian cookie recipe shared by our foodie friend, Carina Duclos. Carina is Argentinian and this recipe is one of her favorite family recipes. Ideal for Christmas, or a celebration, these cookies are always popular.
The recipe itself is very straightforward and simple to follow. The ingredients may seem a little unusual if you aren't used to Latin American cooking, and here, we use cornstarch as the main flour, and powdered sugar, as the sweetener.
There are also 3 eggs and 2 egg yolks, which will give the cookie a wonderful rich texture. You will end up with a lovely rich buttery shortbread type of cookie with a fine texture that simply melts in your mouth!
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Most if not all the ingredients will likely be in your pantry already, so this is a handy recipe to have!
Carina buys very good quality Dulce De Leche for her baking, you can of course make your own dulce de leche, using our recipe. It's straightforward and easy to do.
What are alfajores made of?
The basic ingredients consist of cornstarch, powdered sugar, salt, butter, vanilla, eggs, and dulce de leche
What countries eat alfajores?
Alfajores are enjoyed in Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil. Each country has a slightly different take on its own version.
So if you fancy making some cookies with your pantry ingredients, or you want something a little different, add these to your holiday baking, serve on cookie trays and enjoy!
Recipe by Carina Duclos
Prep Time
1 hour 30 minutes (includes chill time)
Cook Time
10 minutes
Serving Size
26
Ingredients
200g or 7 oz of soft butter
200g or 7 oz icing (powdered) sugar
3 eggs and 2 yolks
1 tsp of good quality vanilla
600g or 21 oz cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
500g or 17 oz dulce de leche (you can buy ready made or make your own using our easy recipe)
200g or 2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut
- I do 500g (17.5 oz) of cornstarch and 100g (3.5 oz) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar,
- add eggs, add yolks and mix well. Add vanilla.
- In separate bowl mix the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the the butter and egg mixture and mix well.
- Rest in fridge for an hour.
- Roll to a minimum thickness of ¼ inch (6mm).
- Cut circles. (I use a 6 cm (2 1-4inches diameter cutter).
- Bake at 350F or 180C for 10 min. Do not over-bake. Take them out at 10 min.
- Tip: I usually put the trays with the cookies in the fridge for 5/10min before putting them in the oven to help to control the spreading.
- Place the cookies on a rack and let them be totally cold.
- Place a tbsp of dulce de leche on half of the cookies and make the sandwiches
by spreading the dulce de leche over the cookie
then adding the top cookie over the dulce de leche layer to form the sandwich.
- Then spread a very very thin layer of dulce de leche around the cookies (enough for the coconut to stick to it) and roll it on coconut.
- Keep in the fridge for better quality.
- Tip: place the jar of dulce the leche in the fridge the day before for easier handling of the spread.
Note that using the 2 ¼ inch cutter and ¼ inch thickness this recipe yields approximately 26 or 27 alfajores
Should alfajores be refrigerated?
Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until firm enough to roll. If you don't want to use the dough right away, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month, then thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Can you freeze alfajores?
This Alfajor Cookie Recipe is perfect for making ahead for the holiday season. You can make the cookie dough, cut the cookies, and freeze the cookie discs unbaked for up to 2 months
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Alfajores De Maicena, delicious melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread cookies from Argentina, made with cornstarch and filled with Dulce de Leche then rolled in coconut.
Ingredients
- 200g or 7 oz of soft butter
- 200g or 7 oz icing (powdered) sugar
- 3 eggs and 2 yolks
- 1 tsp of good quality vanilla
- 600g or 21 oz cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 500g or 17 oz dulce de leche
- 200g or 2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, add yolks and mix well. Add vanilla.
- In separate bowl mix the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the the butter and egg mixture and mix well.
- Rest in fridge for an hour.
- Roll to a minimum thickness of ¼ inch (6mm). Cut circles. (I use a 6 cm (2 1-4inches diameter cutter).
- Bake at 350F or 180C for 10 min. Do not over-bake. Take them out at 10 min.
Tip: I usually put the trays with the cookies in the fridge for 5/10min before putting them in the oven to help to control the spreading. - Place the cookies on a rack and let them be totally cold.
- Place a tbsp of dulce de leche on half of the cookies and make the sandwiches.
- Then spread a very very thin layer of dulce de leche around the cookies (enough for the coconut to stick to it) and roll it on coconut.
- Keep in the fridge for better quality.
Notes
- Note that I do 500g (17.5 oz) of cornstarch and 100g (3.5 oz) all purpose flour
- Tip: place the jar of dulce the leche in the fridge the day before for easier handling of the spread.
- Using the 2 ¼ inch cutter and ¼ inch thickness this recipe yields approximately 26 or 27 alfajores
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 26 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 211mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Here's a collection of delicious cookie recipes you can make for Christmas
Amaretti Style Cranberry and Orange Almond Cookies. These amaretti-style biscuits use minimal flour and have a light airy finish, fit to accompany desserts and drinks light as a feather and fat-free too!
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Amazing Ginger Cookies.
These amazing ginger cookies are a classic cookie, crisp and baked to give you a perfect cookie full of flavor. Perfect for Christmas or any time of the year.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Banana Drop Cookies.
These are a light, soft, fluffy cookie, loaded with white chocolate and cranberries. Great for using up those overripe bananas!
Cranberry and Orange Thins are very thin, crisp, buttery cookies, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Famous New Orleans Pecan Pralines. A great Southern, New Orleans institution! Delicious buttery brown sugar candy type cookie in one, made of pecans, butter, sugar, and milk. Great for Christmas time too!
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Easy oatmeal cookies taste amazing! Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, this basic oatmeal cookie recipe is great on it’s own or you can add chocolate, nuts or dried fruit. A simple classic cookie recipe
Mini Meringue Cookies! These are a wonderful sweet treat made up of just 2 ingredients. Incredibly easy to make and are perfect for adding to desserts or eating just as they are.
Soft and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies, decadent cookies with a peanut butter cookie dough and then filled with creamy peanut butter, a perfect cookie for PB fans!
Fluffy Amaretti Style Lemon Almond Cookies. These amaretti-style cookies are as light as a feather and fat-free too!
Double Chocolate and Orange Biscotti are lovely little Italian cookies perfect for having with a cup of coffee. Easy to make, and make perfect gifts too!
Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!
Joy Cookies. This is an easy recipe packed full of delicious chocolate, coconut and vanilla. These go fast so be sure to bake plenty!
Chinese Almond Cookies are simple little cookies, traditionally made for Chinese New Year. These cookies are soft, fluffy, and crumbly. The shape symbolizes coins and will give you good fortune in the coming new year! Easy recipe and are so addictive, be sure to make plenty!
Christmas Cookies with Sugar Icing. These little cookies are such fun to make! Get ready for the holidays and make up a batch. Great for gifts and there's a recipe for a super easy sugar icing too.
Florentine Cookies are a wonderful cookie type treat, with delicious nuts & fruit and coated on one side with white or dark or milk chocolate. Easy recipe!
Gingerman or even Gingerlady Cookies! Very cute and fun to make, have fun decorating these!
German Star Cookies, also known as Zimtsterne Cinnamon Cookies are a wonderful cookie for Christmas. They're crisp, chewy and spiced with all things nice!
Rum, Orange and Raisin Cookies - A delicious flavor combo, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, a simple cookie recipe using pantry ingredients to give you the best ever cookies!
Quick Mix Spritz Cookies. These little cookies have a wonderful vanilla flavor and melt in your mouth. Easy to make! Get creative and make different shapes ready for Christmas!
Vanilla Butter Ring Cookies. These little cookies have a wonderful vanilla flavor and melt in your mouth. Easy to make!
French Palmier Cookies or Elephant Ears are a delicious little cookie filled with almonds and perfect for the holidays! Quick and easy to make too!
These Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies are packed full of flavor and incredibly easy to make. Loaded with goodies such as butterscotch and cinnamon, they're always popular and great with a nice cold glass of milk.
Lemon Melting Moments Cookies - A wonderful gentle lemon flavor with a melting sensation!
Pecan and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies. Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these are the BEST EVER oatmeal cookies, loaded with pecan nuts and raisins. A simple classic cookie recipe
Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies. A lovely easy recipe and great for gift packages at Christmas!
Chewy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Soft and Chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these are the BEST EVER oatmeal cookies, loaded with white chocolate. A simple classic cookie recipe
Macadamia and White Chocolate Cookies. Perfect with a cup of tea or glass of milk! A very easy cookie recipe.
Grandma's Crunchy Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies recipe is easy to make, and great for gifts. Loaded with chocolate and nuts, and perfect for the holidays