Alfajores de maicena are exquisitely light Argentine shortbread cookies filled with sweet, creamy dulce de leche. They're buttery, extra tender and delicate thanks to a generous amount of cornstarch (maicena in Spanish) in the cookie dough. The edges are coated in finely shredded coconut for added flavor and texture.
These cookies are so light and ethereal, eating them is a bit like biting into a sweet, powdered sugar dusted cloud. They're buttery and sweet, with just the right contrast between the airy, crumbly cookie and the sticky, gooey milk caramel filling.
For a rich, chocolate-forward version, also try my chocolate alfajores.
After discovering the simplicity of homemade dulce de leche, I've developed a love for recipes that include it.
There's no bake Argentine chocotorta, which combines homemade chocolate wafer cookies with dulce de leche and cream cheese in a striking layered dessert. Also, rich and creamy dulce de leche mousse which is thick enough to pipe beautifully into a serving dish.
Ingredients
* See recipe card for detailed ingredients and quantities.
Cornstarch - A generous amount of cornstarch helps reduce gluten development and adds a light and tender texture. It also gives these cookies one of their nicknames, "maicenitas," or little cornstarch cookies.
Powdered sugar - Powdered sugar creates a more tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency in the cookies.
Dulce de leche - Use my easy homemade dulce de leche recipe or purchase some ready made in a can. You can often find canned dulce de leche in the international section of your local grocery store. Look for the bakery style (pastelera) that is thick and pipeable.
Shredded unsweetened coconut - Once filled, roll the cookies in finely shredded unsweetened coconut, also called desiccated coconut.
Don't use sweetened coconut as the dulce de leche already provides plenty of sweetness.
If you can't find finely shredded coconut, you can substitute unsweetened coconut flakes or coarsely shredded coconut and pulse it in a food processor or blender until fine.
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Beat butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add egg yolks one at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla and mix again.
Add dry ingredients, mixing on low just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl several times to help ensure the butter mixture is fully blended in.
Gather dough into a disc and place between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll dough to ⅛" thick. Refrigerate rolled dough (still in parchment) on an upside down baking sheet for 30 minutes.
If you don't have parchment, roll the dough out on a surface dusted with a bit of powdered sugar rather than flour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).
Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 32 circles. Evenly space the circles on parchment lined baking sheets. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes on center rack of oven. Leave to fully cool on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Fill a 16 inch (40 centimeter) piping bag with dulce de leche. Pipe approximately 14 grams (scant tablespoon) dulce de leche onto the bottom of half of the cookies. Cover gently with the remaining cookies.
Place the shredded coconut into a small shallow bowl. Roll the edge of each cookie into the coconut so that it sticks to the dulce de leche filling.
Place cookies back onto a baking sheet. Put powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve and generously dust over the top of the cookies.
Variations
Traditional Argentine alfajores de maicena are made with dulce de leche, which is also referred to as manjar or arequipe. In other parts of South America, the cookies are filled with cajeta, a similar milk caramel made from goat's milk. If you want to try a different variation, you can explore these options:
Plain - Omit the shredded coconut for a simple dulce de leche filled cookie.
Lemon zest - Finely grate the zest of ½ lemon into the alfajor dough after creaming the butter and sugar for an added layer of citrus flavor.
Jam - You can replace the dulce de leche with quince paste or a thicker jam such as fig or raspberry.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Alfajores de Maicena (Argentine Dulce de Leche Cookies)
INGREDIENTS
Alfajores de Maicena
- 100 grams all purpose flour
- 150 grams cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 75 grams powdered sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 5 mL vanilla extract
- 240 grams dulce de leche, room temperature (click for recipe)
- 30 grams coconut, shredded, unsweetened
- powdered sugar, for dusting onto tops of filled cookies
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk together thoroughly and set aside.100 grams all purpose flour, 150 grams cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat together on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.113 grams unsalted butter, 75 grams powdered sugar
- Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well between additions. Scrape down bowl to ensure mixture is well combined. Add vanilla and mix again.2 large egg yolks, 5 mL vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients, mixing on low just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl several times to help ensure the butter mixture is fully blended in.
- Gather dough into a disc and place between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough to a thickness of ⅛". Refrigerate rolled dough (still in parchment) on an upside down baking sheet for 30+ minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Loosen both layers of parchment paper, but keep the dough on a parchment base. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out 32 circles.
- Evenly space the circles 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Chill for 10 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 10 minutes on center rack of oven. Cookies should be light golden brown on the base, but still pale on top. Leave to fully cool on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Fill a 16 inch (40 centimeter) piping bag with dulce de leche. Pipe approximately 14 grams (scant tablespoon) of dulce de leche onto the bottom of half of the cookies. Cover gently with the remaining cookies.240 grams dulce de leche
- Place the shredded coconut into a small shallow bowl. Roll the edge of each cookie into the coconut so that it sticks to the dulce de leche filling.30 grams coconut
- Place cookies back onto a baking sheet. Put powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve and generously dust over the top of the cookies.powdered sugar
NOTES
- Keep an eye on the cookies while they are baking - you want the bottoms to be gently golden, but the tops to remain pale.
- After baking, leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet. They may stick if you try to move them before they've cooled.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. For best flavor, bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freeze alfajores in an airtight freezer container for up to 30 days. I recommend eating them once they have defrosted and reach room temperature.
- If stacking cookies for storage, place parchment paper between layers.
M M Huberdeau says
Ces alfajores me rappellent l'Argentine, et mon premier voyage à Buenos Aires.
Excellente recette. Merci.
Kathleen Culver says
Merci beaucoup! Je suis tellement contente que cela vous ait apporté un souvenir heureux.
(Google m'a aidé à traduire ceci.)
Kathleen
Mariela S Gonzalez says
they turned out delicious 😋
Kathleen Culver says
Thanks so much, Mariela!
I'm glad you loved them.
Kathleen