These sweet alfajores are a taste of heaven with coffee, for afternoon tea or any time you crave something special.
They’re delicate little biscuits (or cookie if you’re American), gently flavoured with vanilla and citrus notes. Then they’re sandwiched together with glorious dulce de leche and dusted with icing sugar to finish. They’re to be found across Spain and South America. Apparently Argentina is the place that consumes the most – a little snippet I picked up somewhere and can’t quite recall where.
Dulce de leche is just caramelised milk – sweet, thickened and golden brown. It can be made a few different ways, with the easiest just from boiled canned condensed milk, or you can go traditional and reduce sweetened milk to a thick caramel. I plan on making these again soon and will post how I made the dulce de leche – or you can check this page out as it has a few options.
Safety first
Be aware that if you choose the boiled can option, make sure you don’t let the pan boil dry or the can may explode. Also, it needs to be cooled completely before attempting to open it. No one needs third degree burns and sticky caramel to clean up from all over the kitchen. Personally, I think the oven tray method is safest and you get to control the thickness and colour much better.
Enjoy making my recipe. I challenge you to stop at just one.
Alfajores
Delicious, delicate little biscuits sandwiched together with a gorgeous dulce de leche. Yum.
15
sandwiched biscuits30
minutes1
hour20
minutesClick for the screen to stay active while you cook
You will need
1 cup cornflour (corn starch)
3/4 cup plain flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Pinch sea salt
120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon rind
1 tablespoon pisco or brandy (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dulce de leche, at room temperature
Icing sugar, for dusting
Here’s what to do
- Sift the cornflour, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt into a bowl.
- Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add the egg yolks, pisco or brandy (if using) and vanilla to the butter and mix until just incorporated.
- Still mixing on low speed, gradually add the flour and mix until just incorporated. You shouldn’t be able to see any unmixed flour at all.
- Form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic (or reusable) film, then refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to roll the dough, heat your oven to 175°C.
- Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment paper.
- Remove first dough half from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured bench.
- Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll to about 3-5mm thick. If the dough cracks, just carefully patch it back together.
- Using a 5cm round cutter, stamp out biscuits. Keep reforming and rerolling the dough until all of it is used. Just make sure you cut an even number, but you should have around 30 cut biscuits.
- Place on prepared baking trays, spaced 1.5-2cm apart.
- Bake until they are firm and pale golden on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes. It’s best to bake one tray at a time for even colour and cooking.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Assemble: Turn half of the biscuits upside down and gently spread about a dessertspoon of the dulce de leche on each.
- Sandwich with a second biscuit and press gently to stick together.
- Dust generously with icing (powdered) sugar before serving.
Tips and tricks
- Dulce de leche can be found in good supermarkets, or you can make your own.
More afternoon tea treats to try.
Planning an afternoon tea? My delicious orange poppyseed syrup cake is a winner. It is moist, full of flavour and the perfect accompaniment to a cuppa. Serve with whipped sour cream lightly sweetened with icing sugar and vanilla extract.
Maybe chocolate is more your thing? How do best of the best chocolate brownies sound? Yep, they’re THAT good!
An Espresso Martini is a great grown up alternative to the standard cappucino! Try one with a biscuit on the side. Delicious!
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