How to Make Alfajores

Author & Photographer: Fiorella Robinson

Alfajores are a pastry traditional to South America. It is believed that a version of the pastry made its way to Latin countries through Spanish colonization and became the dessert that it is known today as “alfajores” throughout the continent. These buttery, sugar-like cookies are known for their powdery coating and caramel filling. My connection to them comes from my Peruvian roots. Every month, my grandmother mails me these alfajores from this exact recipe. I love eating them warm or cold, and it reminds me of being back with my family in Latin America.

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Recipe

Adapted from: Cecilia Tupac

Servings: 16

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornstarch

  • 1 ½  cups all purpose flour

  • 1 cup salted or unsalted butter

  • ½ cup powdered sugar

  • 1 jar or bottle of caramel

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.

  3. Slice the butter and warm it for 30-60 seconds in the microwave.

  4. Mix the melted butter and dry ingredients with a spoon and then knead with your hands until mixture is almost a grainy texture.

  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and mold it into a ball. You don't want to mix it too much because you want the dough to still be soft.

  6. Place the dough ball in the refrigerator to cool for 20-30 minutes.

  7. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out slowly (you want to make sure it is not too thin or thick for when it cooks in the oven).

  8. Take a small cookie cutter circle, or take a knife and carve out circular cookies into the dough about  2 inches in diameter.

  9. Bake the cookies in a nonstick pan for 10-12 minutes

  10. Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are slightly brown and let them cool.Once the cookies cool, grab one and cover one side with 1-2 tablespoons of caramel.Sandwich another cookie on top of the caramel. Cover each side of the cookie with powdered sugar.

  11. Repeat until you run out of cookies or caramel.

  12. Enjoy!

RecipesMelanie WangComment