Get started now
All recipes

Alfajores

Dessert 🍰Snack 🍿 Argentinian 🇦🇷Peruvian 🇵🇪 Low-CarbLow-SodiumHeart-Healthy ❤️Vegetarian 🥦Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Alfajores are tender sandwich cookies with delicate, buttery crumbs that melt as you bite in, joined by rich, slow-cooked dulce de leche and finished with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar. These classic Latin American sweets balance caramel depth with light, shortbread-like cookies. Serve them for celebrations, holidays, or with an afternoon coffee or tea.

  • Prep30 mins
  • Cook2 hrs 15 mins
  • Serves40
  • DifficultyMedium
Alfajores
  1. 1

    Combine the condensed milk and butter for the filling in a pot over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and turns caramelized, about 2 hours.

  2. 2

    While the filling simmers, mix the flour, butter, powdered sugar, pisco, baking powder, and salt for the cookies in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until a dough forms.

  3. 3

    Shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

  4. 4

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  5. 5

    Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch. Use a small cookie cutter to cut about 80 circles. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets; prick each one once with a fork.

  6. 6

    Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until the edges are just golden, about 12 minutes, switching racks halfway through; do not let them brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies.

  7. 7

    When the filling is done simmering, let it cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

  8. 8

    Spread the filling over one side of 2 cookies and press them together like sandwiches. Roll in powdered sugar to coat. Repeat to fill and coat the remaining cookies.