Description
Alfajores are a beloved Peruvian dessert featuring delicate vanilla shortbread cookies sandwiched with creamy, homemade manjar blanco (dulce de leche). These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are dusted with powdered sugar, creating a perfect balance of buttery, sweet, and tender textures ideal for any special occasion or everyday treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Manjar Blanco
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- Pinch kosher salt
Vanilla Shortbread Cookie
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch, sifted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste (optional)
- 1 large egg yolk (optional)
Assembly
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Make the Manjar Blanco: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the sweetened condensed milk in a small baking dish, cover with foil, and set it inside a larger baking dish. Fill the larger dish halfway with water to form a water bath. Bake for 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes, refilling water halfway through to prevent evaporation. Let cool for 15 minutes, then whisk until smooth. This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted corn starch, powdered sugar, and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and vanilla until smooth, then add the egg yolk and mix just to incorporate. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a 2-inch round, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Chill the cut cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling two times. Score tops gently with fork tines.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes until firm but without browning. Let cool on the baking sheets to room temperature.
- Assemble the Alfajores: Flip half the cookies so the plain sides face up. Pipe or spoon the manjar blanco onto these cookie bases, then sandwich with another cookie and gently press. Roll sides in sifted powdered sugar to coat. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Dough needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour for moisture to distribute evenly; can be kept in fridge up to 3 days.
- Store-bought dulce de leche can be used, but whisk well to smooth lumps.
- Use a 1 1/2-inch cutter for mini alfajores or stick to 3-inch for traditional size.
- Best stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Manjar blanco can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; temper by bringing to room temperature or placing sealed container in warm water.
- Recommended equipment includes baking sheets, parchment paper, offset and silicone spatulas, stand mixer, measuring cups and spoons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 28g)
- Calories: 386 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 19.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.1 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
