Description
Alfajores (Peruvian Style) are delicate vanilla shortbread cookies sandwiched with creamy homemade manjar blanco (dulce de leche). This traditional Peruvian dessert features a tender, buttery cookie with a smooth, caramel-like filling, dusted with powdered sugar for a perfect sweet treat.
Ingredients
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 oven to 400°F. Pour sweetened condensed milk into a small baking dish. Cover with foil and place inside a larger baking dish. Fill the larger dish halfway with water to create a water bath. Bake for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes, refilling water if needed halfway. Remove, cool for 15 minutes, whisk until smooth. Store in airtight container; can be made a day ahead.
- Make the Cookies: Whisk flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and vanilla in a mixer until smooth. Add egg yolk and mix just to combine. Gradually add flour mixture and mix slowly until combined. Form dough into a ball, flatten into a 2-inch round, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll Out and Cut Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll chilled dough between parchment sheets to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut cookies close together. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart. Chill again in fridge for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling twice.
- Bake the Cookies: Score cookie tops lightly with fork tines. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, just until set and firm but no color on edges. Cool completely on baking sheets.
- Assemble Alfajores: Flip half the cookies. Pipe or spoon manjar blanco onto the flat side, then sandwich with another cookie. Press lightly, roll edges in sifted powdered sugar. Store in airtight container up to 3 to 5 days.
Notes
- Dough can be refrigerated 1 hour to 3 days; resting helps moisture distribute evenly.
- Store-bought dulce de leche can be used; whisk until smooth if lumpy.
- Cookie size can be adjusted by using different cutters (1 1/2 inch for mini, 3 inch standard).
- Store alfajores at room temperature in airtight container for best texture.
- Prepare manjar blanco up to 3 days ahead; temper before use by warming or letting sit at room temperature.
- Equipment needed: baking sheets, parchment paper, offset and silicone spatulas, stand mixer or hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, whisk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10g
- 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
