Alfajores

I hope you saved some of that dulce de leche from earlier this week! If not, head to your kitchen and make a batch (make it a double, actually, you’ll need it) and then get back here. I’ll wait… If you’ve never had alfajores before, there are a few things to know about them:

What You Need

Let’s talk about just a few of these ingredients…

Butter. I always use unsalted butter (here’s why). You want it to be softened, but the center should still have a chill to it and the exterior shouldn’t be so soft that it’s oily or beginning to melt (or your cookies will spread too much).Powdered sugar & brown sugar. Many alfajores recipes use only powdered sugar but I much prefer the added flavor from using brown sugar, too.Cornstarch. Cornstarch helps these cookies to be light and tender, making them the perfect “bread” for your dulce de leche sandwich.Dulce de Leche. I just shared my post on how to make this out of a can of sweetened condensed milk and it’s unbelievably easy! I’ll usually make this the day before I intend to make my alfajores. Keep in mind that you’ll need a bit more than a single batch of dulce de leche, so either make two batches or just plan on eating some of the cookie shells plain!Dessicated coconut (optional). It is common to roll the sticky sides of alfajores through finely shredded coconut for added texture and flavor. I just buy shredded sweetened coconut and pulse it a few times in my food processor.

Now here’s an ingredient I don’t use: brandy. It’s commonly used in alfajores but it’s not an ingredient I typically keep in my pantry (or a flavor I particularly care for). If you’d like to add it, add two teaspoons along with the vanilla extract. You may need to dust your dough with a bit more flour when rolling it out.