Argentine Alfajores de Maicena
Melt-in-your-mouth cornstarch cookies hugging a thick layer of dulce de leche
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 1 hr 22 min
- Yield
- About 20 sandwich cookies
- Level
- Easy
Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — thank you for supporting our kitchen.
The story
Walk into any Argentine panadería or kiosco and you will find alfajores stacked by the register. The word comes from the Arabic al-hasú, meaning filled, and the sweet itself traveled from Moorish Spain to the Americas with Spanish settlers, where it slowly transformed from a honey-and-nut confection into the sandwich cookie Argentines know today.
Argentina is said to eat more alfajores than any other country, and the maicena (cornstarch) version is the everyday favorite. Cornstarch replaces much of the wheat flour, giving the cookies a fragile, sandy crumb that practically dissolves on the tongue. The filling is always dulce de leche, the slow-cooked milk caramel that Argentines claim as a national treasure, and the edges are traditionally rolled in shredded coconut.
At home these are a joy to make. The dough comes together in minutes, the cookies bake pale and quick, and assembling them is the kind of happy, sticky job that the Miss Confection bakers like to share around the kitchen table.
Tips for success
- The cookies are fragile when warm, so let them cool fully before filling.
- Thick repostero-style dulce de leche holds its shape best; if yours is loose, chill it for 30 minutes before filling.
- Alfajores taste even better the next day, once the cookies soften slightly against the filling.
- Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Argentine Alfajores de Maicena
Our alfajores de maicena recipe makes tender, crumbly Argentine cornstarch cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut, just like a Buenos Aires bakery.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 1 hr 22 min
- Yield
- About 20 sandwich cookies
- Calories
- ~190/serving
Ingredients
For the cookies
For filling and finishing
Instructions
Make the dough
- Whisk the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla, lemon zest and brandy, beating until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until a soft, smooth dough forms. Pat it into a disk, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.
Cut and bake
- Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cut 2-inch (5 cm) rounds and set them 1 inch apart on the sheets, rerolling scraps once.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are set and the bottoms are barely golden; the tops should stay pale. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.
Assemble
- Spread or pipe a generous teaspoon of dulce de leche onto the flat side of half the cookies and top with the remaining cookies, pressing gently so the filling reaches the edges.
- Roll the exposed edges in shredded coconut and dust the tops with powdered sugar if you like.
Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/argentine-alfajores-de-maicena
Questions, answered
What are alfajores made of?
Argentine alfajores de maicena are two tender cornstarch-and-flour shortbread cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and usually rolled in shredded coconut.
Why are my alfajores hard?
They were likely overbaked or the dough was overmixed. Pull them while the tops are still pale and mix only until the dough comes together.
Can you freeze alfajores?
Yes. Freeze the unfilled cookies for up to 2 months, then thaw and fill. Filled alfajores also freeze well for about a month.
Reviews
Sign in or create a free account to rate this recipe, save it to your Recipe Box and stamp your Dessert Passport.