These traditional Argentine cookies, also known as “cornstarch alfajores,” are a sweet and crumbly delicacy made with a blend of cornstarch, sugar, and butter. They’re filled with a creamy and delicious dulce de leche or caramel filling and are often dusted with powdered sugar.
Alfajores de maicena have been enjoyed for generations in Argentina and other South American regions, and they are gaining huge popularity globally. They’re the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee or to share with friends and family. The best thing is that you can prepare them in your own kitchen using this recipe.
So, let’s not wait too long and prepare this wonderful Alfajores de Maicena recipe to surprise your kids and family.
Alfajores De Maicena Recipe
Cuisine: ArgentinianDifficulty: Easy20
servings15
minutes8
minutes130
kcal23
minutesThis Alfajores De Maicena Recipe is quite simple to prepare at home. Take these ingredients and follow my instructions. It will undoubtedly be your favorite cookie alfajor maizena cookies.
Alfajores De Maicena Ingredientes
Rolling pin
Electric beaters, or stand mixer
Cookie sheet, or baking tray
Cooling rack
1/2 cup (125 grams) butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (115 grams) Superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 ¼ cups (150 grams) cornflower
1 cup (150 grams) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dulce de leche, or caramel sauce
Grated coconut
how to make Alfajores De Maicena
- Making the Dough: For making this cookie dough, you need to beat butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric beater. Whisk all of these ingredients until they become fluffy. After that, add the egg yolk and beat them until incorporated.
Then add all the dry ingredients and gently fold the mixer with a spatula. Knead the mixer with your hand until it becomes a perfect dough ball. Then rest the dough for half an hour.
- Preheat the Oven: Before baking, you should preheat your oven to 360° F (180º C).
- Roll the Dough and Cut the Cookies: To roll out your cookie dough, you need to put some flour on the surface. You can roll your dough about a half-centimeter thick. Cut the dough in a circular shape and organize them on a baking tray.
- Bake the Cookies: Try to bake your cookies until they become light brown. You may need to bake them for 10 minutes and make sure they are cool down completely.
- Make Dulce De Leche: This caramel sauce is made by heating sweetened milk. You can make dulce de leche with milk and sugar. It is also made by using sweetened condensed milk.
- Making Alfajores Cookies: Take a piping bag to place your caramel sauce in a piping bag. Now take one cold circle and pipe some caramel sauce on its surface. And put another one on it. But if you want to avoid dulce de leche you can also fill them with a chocolate ganache.
- Decorate Cookies with Coconut: Finally, roll your cookie in grated coconut. Now they are ready to serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- To make a more stable caramel sauce, you can add 1 tbsp of cornstarch dissolved into the milk. Usually, the flavour of these Alfajores cookies takes a long time to blend. The taste of these cookies will increase if you give them a long time. So, to have yummy Alfajores de maicena, you should make them one day before serving. It is a soft cookie, so you should not overwork the dough. Otherwise, it will become hard. Place dough in the fridge for more than half an hour if your dough becomes too soft. Make sure that you do not overfill your cookie sandwiches.
- If you don’t have cornflower, you can also use aka tapioca starch (tapioca flour) or arrowroot.
- If you don’t have time for making Dulce de Leche, you should buy high-quality store-bought Dulce de Leche for this cookie recipe.
- You can enjoy this cookie with chocolate dip.
Where Do Alfajores Come From?
Alfajores are traditionally coming from South American cookies, but they are particularly known as “alfajores de maicena Argentinos” and have been enjoyed in Argentina for generations. But they are also popular in other countries like Peru, Chile, Philippines, and Uruguay too.
Secrets of Making a Perfect Alfajores Cookie
Every recipe has their own secrets. Alfajores recipe also have some secret. Let’s have a look at all the secrets of this cookie recipe.
Try to keep your cookie dough in the fridge before rolling it out and cutting out the cookies. Because you may easily handle the cold dough.
Be careful about the baking time of your cookie, otherwise, your cookies will be overbaked. Then the taste of your cookie will disappear.
You can also make this cookie with different variations, including changing the shape, adding different fillings with nuts (fruit or chocolate filling), and adding coconut flakes. However, the options are endless.
Frequently Asked Question
What are Alfajores traditionally filled with?
Alfajores are usually filled with dulce de leche. Dulce de Leche is a rich, creamy caramel prepared from sugar and milk. But in the new Alfajores, chocolate, fruit, and milk jam fillings are added to modify the flavor of the cookie.
How do you thicken dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche can be thickened by simmering it over low heat, constantly stirring, or by adding cornstarch or butter mixture to it.
When should I eat Alfajores?
Alfajores are considered a dessert snack, so you can have these cookies with your morning tea or coffee. You can also have them as late-night snacks.
How are Alfajores cookies served?
You can serve these cookies with salad snacks. You can have these cookies as a snack before a dinner party or everyday dinner.
Do you need to refrigerate Alfajores cookies after baking?
Yes, you will need to do this if you live in a very humid or hot climate. I would like to recommend that you store your cookies in an airtight container after baking them. For a longer shelf life, store the cookies in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. The cold texture of this cookie is tasty, so you can eat them either cold or allow them to bring at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
| Serving | 20 |
| Calories | 130g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Fat | 17g |
| Potassium | 39mg |
| Iron | 1mg |
| Protein | 1g |
| Sodium | 38mg |
| Calcium | 15mg |
| Sugar | 4g |
| Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Cholesterol | 31mg |
| Vitamin A | 251IU |
| Vitamin C | 1 mg |
Conclusion
Hopefully, you will surprise your family members with this delicious Alfajores de maicena recipe very soon. You can store this shortbread cookie a room temperature for seven days. And in the refrigerator for one month.
If you have an allergy problem, use chocolate or powdered sugar instead of coconut. If you have an allergy problem with coconut, you can use chocolate or powdered sugar to coat the cookies.
Now it’s your turn, try this recipe at home to surprise your family member or close one. And share your experience with me in the comment section below. I will wait for your feedback.