Delicious Argentinian Alfajores Cookies served with espresso

Argentina • Regional Dish • Dessert

Argentinian Alfajores Cookies

Argentinian alfajores are tender little sandwich cookies with serious charm. Soft, delicate rounds, a generous layer of dulce de leche and a coconut edge that makes the whole thing feel just a bit more dressed up.

Servings12
Prep Time30 min
Cook Time10 min
DifficultyModerate
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Instructions

  1. Whisk together the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest, then mix until smooth.
  3. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork it. Alfajor dough likes a gentle hand, not a motivational speech.
  4. Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap and chill for 20 minutes so it firms up slightly and rolls more cleanly.
  5. Heat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  6. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to about 7 mm thick. Cut out 24 rounds, about 5 to 6 cm wide. Gather and reroll the scraps once if needed.
  7. Arrange the rounds on the tray with a little space between them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set and pale with only the faintest color underneath. They should not brown much.
  8. Cool completely. Spread about 2 tsp dulce de leche on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another. Roll the edges in desiccated coconut, then repeat with the rest.

Cultural Context

Alfajores are one of Argentina’s most beloved sweets, but there is more than one style. Alfajores de maicena are the especially tender kind, made with cornflour-based cookies and filled with dulce de leche, often finished with coconut around the edges. Other regional styles, such as Mar del Plata chocolate-covered alfajores or Córdoba fruit-filled versions, take the idea in different directions.

Fun Fact

One reason alfajores de maicena feel so delicate is the high proportion of cornflour in the dough. Argentine recipes routinely lean heavily on it, which gives the cookies that soft, almost crumbly bite people expect.

Cook’s Tip

Traditional Argentine alfajores de maicena usually combine cornflour with some wheat flour, butter, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, dulce de leche and coconut around the edges. Many versions also use baking powder, and some include a little baking soda for extra tenderness. Use thick dulce de leche if possible so the filling stays put. If your dulce de leche is loose, chill it briefly before assembling. The cookies should stay pale and tender, not golden and crisp. Recipes from Argentine cooking sources consistently keep the bake short and the dough lightly handled.

Trivia

Many traditional Argentine versions finish alfajores by sandwiching the cookies with dulce de leche and rolling the edges in grated coconut.

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