Consisting of soft, melt in your mouth cookies sandwiched together with a creamy dulce de leche filling, these alfajores are irresistibly scrumptious! The mix of cornstarch and flour makes for a cookie with an incredibly delicate texture which in turn complements the soft consistency of the dulce de leche filling. Dulce de Leche sandwich cookies are a must try and this recipe yields cookies that are easy to make and eat at your leisure!
What Are Alfajores?
Alfajores are a Latin American confection consisting of soft, buttery cookies sandwiched with a caramel-like dulce de leche filling. The sides of cookies may be rolled in shredded coconut and the tops are finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Although these cookies are generally identified as a Latin American treat, they may differ depending on the region in Latin America. For example, alfajores from Argentina may differ slightly from the Peruvian version. Regardless of the slight differences in how these cookies are prepared, the melt in your mouth consistency of alfajores is largely due to the fact that a significant quantity of cornstarch is used in the cookie dough.
In some cases, the base cookie recipe may be made with all cornstarch or mix of cornstarch and flour. I went for a mix of flour and cornstarch and the outcome was AMAZING! The delicate texture of these cookies serves as the perfect base to the milky and creamy dulce de leche filling.
What is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de leche is a sweet, creamy confection frequently used in Latin American cuisine. It is made from sweetened condensed milk that has been slowly cooked/heated until it reaches a thick consistency with a deep golden brown in color. The longer the condensed milk is cooked, the more rich the flavor will be both in taste and appearance.
How to Make Dulce De Leche
To make dulce de leche from scratch, remove the paper wrapping from a can of condensed milk. Next, place the can on its side in a large deep-bottom pan before filling the pan with enough water so that reaches at least 2 inches about the can.
Place the pan over high heat to bring water to a simmer. Lower heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours re-filling the pan with more water as needed. The goal here is to keep the can submerged in simmering water. Additionally, I also like to intermittently rotate the can using kitchen thongs during this slow cook process.
The longer the condensed milk is cooked, the more deep in color and flavor the dulce de leche will be. At the 2 hour mark, dulce de leche will have a lighter caramel color. However, at the 3-hour mark or over, dulce de leche will have a dark caramel color. I find the 3-hour mark creates the color and flavor that I prefer my dulce de leche to be but this is a matter of personal preference.
How to Make Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Egg Yolks
- Milk of Choice
- Vanilla Extract
- Dulce De Leche
- Powdered Sugar
Tips for Making Cookies
- Properly Cream Butter and Sugar – butter and sugar should be creamed until mixture takes on a pale yellow color with a fluffy consistency.
- Do Not Overmix Cookie Dough – mix cookie dough batter just until it starts to clump up into a ball.
- Chill Cookie Dough – cookie dough needs to be chilled before rolling and cutting into circle shapes. Additionally, I like to chill the cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This allows the butter in dough to firm back up before cookies are baked and helps to prevent overspreading of cookies.
- Do Not Over Bake Cookies – take care to not over bake cookies. Over baked cookies will be dry and crumbly in texture. Cookies should be baked just until they appear slightly puffed and center no longer appears wet.
- Gently Press Cookies Together to Form Sandwiches – given the soft, delicate texture of these cookies, when sandwiching them together with dulce de leche filling do so with gentle pressure. This will help prevent cookies from breaking.
How To Store Dulce De Leche Cookies
Cookies stored in an airtight container will last 3-4 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
Can Cookie Dough Be Made in Advance?
Yes, cookie dough tightly wrapped in plastic/cling wrap may be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in the freezer for 1-3 months. Frozen dough should be thawed in the fridge overnight before using. If refrigerated cookie dough appears too hard after being removed from the fridge, allow dough to soften at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to roll and shape cookie dough for baking.
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If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintAlfajores (Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies)
Consisting of soft, melt in your mouth cookies sandwiched together with a creamy dulce de leche filling, these alfajores are irresistibly scrumptious! The mix of cornstarch and flour makes for a cookie with an incredibly delicate texture which in turn complements the soft consistency of the dulce de leche filling. Alfajores are a must try and this recipe yields cookies that are easy to make and eat at your leisure!
- Prep Time: 2 Hours
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 18–20 Cookies 1x
Ingredients
Dulce De Leche
- 1 (13.5 oz) Can Condensed Milk
Alfajores (Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies)
- 1 Cup (120 g) Cornstarch
- 1 Cup (125 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup (113 g) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Milk of Choice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Confectioners’ (Powdered) Sugar
- 1 Cup Dulce De Leche
Instructions
Dulce De Leche
- Place the can of condensed milk (with the label removed) on its side in a medium deep-bottom sauce pan.
- Fill the pan with enough water to cover the can of condensed milk. Water should reach at least 2 inches above the can.
- Place pan over medium high heat to bring the water to a boil and then lower heat to medium low to simmer.
- Cook condensed milk for 3-4 hours refilling the pan with water as needed. I like to rotate and flip the can of condensed milk onto the opposite side with kitchen thongs about every 30-40 minutes.
- For a lighter colored dulce de leche, use kitchen thongs to remove can from water after 3 hours. For a darker colored dulce de leche, remove can from water after 4 hours.
- Allow can to cool to room temperature before opening and spooning out dulce de leche into an airtight container.
Alfajores (Dulce De Leche Cookies)
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Whisk ingredients together to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer, add the butter and sugar. Cream ingredients together at medium high speed until mixture appears pale yellow with a fluffy consistency, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla extract into creamed butter mixture followed by the egg yolks and milk. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl.
- Reduce mixture speed to low. Add all of the dry ingredients into wet batter and mix just until cookie dough forms, about 1 minute.
- Stop mixer and transfer cookie dough to a clean work surface.
- Shape cookie dough into a slightly flattened disk shape and wrap in plastic/cling wrap. Refrigerate cookie dough for 2-3 hours or until firm.
- Line two large baking pans with parchment paper.
- Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of dough and roll into a large circle that is between 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
- Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many cookie dough circles as you can.
- Transfer cookie dough circles to parchment lined baking sheets taking care to place them at least 1/2 inch apart.
- Re-roll dough scraps and repeat the process of cutting out more cookie dough circles for a total of 36 to 40 cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350F(177C). Place baking sheets with cookie dough cutouts in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This step is optional but will allow butter in dough to firm back up and help prevent overspreading of cookies as it bakes.
- Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes rotating the pan halfway through bake time. I do not recommend baking cookies beyond the 10 minute mark as doing so may result in dry, crumbly cookies.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of dulce de leche into the center of the bottom of one cookie before topping with another cookie. Gently press cookies together to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies for a total of 18 to 20 cookie sandwiches.
- Dust the tops of cookie sandwiches with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Alfajores are best eaten the day it is baked but will keep fresh for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or upto 1 week in the fridge.
- Leftover dulce de leche stored in an airtight container will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
- For more authentic tasting alfajores, replace 1 tablespoon of the milk in recipe with rum.
- In place of making dulce de leche from scratch, it may purchase from your local grocery or Spanish food market.
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