andrejthechef
ArgentinaDessertDessertVegetarian

Alfajores de Maicena

Tender cornstarch cookies sandwiched with a thick layer of dulce de leche and rolled in grated coconut around the edges. A national obsession.

prep
30 min
cook
12 min
total
42 min
serves
8
level
medium
Alfajores de Maicena, a dish from Across Argentina

Alfajores show up in some form in several Latin American countries, but the Argentine cornstarch version has its own devoted following: a cookie so tender it almost dissolves, built almost entirely on cornstarch rather than regular flour.

The one rule that matters most is color. These cookies should come out of the oven pale, not browned, since any real color means they have dried out past the soft, sandy texture the whole cookie is built around.

Part of our 20 best Argentine recipes list.

method

  1. Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and baking soda together.

  2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the zest and vanilla.

  3. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined into a soft dough. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.

  5. Roll the dough out to about 5mm thick and cut into small rounds, about 4 to 5 cm across.

  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should look pale and just barely set, not browned; they firm up fully as they cool.

  7. Let the cookies cool completely. Spread a generous layer of dulce de leche on the flat side of half the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining halves, pressing gently so the filling squeezes slightly to the edge.

  8. Roll the exposed dulce de leche edge of each sandwiched cookie in the grated coconut, pressing gently to help it stick.

chef's tips

  • These cookies should stay pale, not golden. Baking them until they brown dries them out and loses the soft, sandy crumb that makes a good alfajor.
  • A generous, thick layer of dulce de leche is not excessive here, it is the standard. A thin scrape of filling is usually considered a disappointing alfajor.
  • Roll the coconut onto the edge while the dulce de leche is still soft enough to grip it. Once it firms up at room temperature, the coconut will not stick properly.
  • These keep for several days in an airtight container, and many people think the texture is even better a day after assembling.