How to prepare the best Alfajores de Maicena (Cornstarch) - Argentinian Sweets with Dulce de Leche

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option with a similar texture.

dulce de leche

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: caramel sauce

Honey offers a natural sweetness, while caramel sauce is more accessible.

Separate 2 egg yolks and crack 1 egg in a different bowl, letting them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Grate the zest of 1/2 lemon, using only the yellow part, and set aside.

Leave the butter at room temperature, then beat it with sugar in a stand mixer until soft and pale (2-3 minutes at medium speed).

Beat in the eggs one by one until creamy and fluffy, scraping the sides with a spatula.

Add lemon zest, cognac, and vanilla flavouring one at a time, mixing on low speed until integrated.

Sift together flour, cornflour, and baking powder in a bowl.

Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently to achieve a sandy consistency.

Form the dough into a cylinder, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line trays with baking parchment.

Dust the table and rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough to about 5 mm thick, forming a large thin rectangle.

Cut out circles using a 4 cm round cookie cutter and lift them with a thin offset spatula.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until pale, not golden, then cool on a rack.

Fill a piping bag with Dulce de Leche and pipe a swirl onto one biscuit, then cover with another biscuit to form a sandwich.

Dip the assembled biscuits in coconut, rotating to coat the sides, and store in an airtight container.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens