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1
Cream the Butter and Sugar
8 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Beat the softened butter and sugar together for 3–4 minutes until pale, fluffy and doubled in volume. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Butter at room temperature creams properly — cold butter stays lumpy and melted butter makes greasy biscuits.
Done when: Pale, fluffy and smooth; yolks fully beaten in.
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2
Mix and Chill the Dough
10 Mins + 30 Mins Chill
Fridge, ~4°C (39°F)
Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt over the butter mixture and fold together with a spatula until a soft, smooth dough forms. Do not knead it — overworking makes tough biscuits. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together; cornstarch dough toughens quickly if overworked.
Done when: A soft, smooth dough that holds together without cracking.
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3
Roll, Cut and Bake
12 Mins
Oven 170°C (340°F)
Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line two trays with baking paper. Roll the chilled dough out to about 5 mm thick on a lightly floured surface, cut 5 cm rounds and place them on the trays. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set but the tops are still pale — alfajores should not brown.
Pale is correct: golden tops mean overbaked, dry alfajores. Check at 10 minutes.
Done when: Edges are set and the biscuits lift off the paper; tops stay pale cream.
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4
Fill with Dulce de Leche
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Cool the biscuits completely on a wire rack. Spread about 20 g of dulce de leche on the flat side of one biscuit, press a second biscuit on top gently, and let a little filling show at the edge.
Fill only when the biscuits are fully cool — warm biscuits melt the dulce de leche and slide apart.
Done when: A generous, even layer of dulce de leche, about 20 g per cookie.
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5
Roll in Coconut and Rest
5 Mins + 20 Mins Rest
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Roll the exposed dulce de leche edge in the desiccated coconut so it sticks all round. Leave the finished alfajores to rest for 20–30 minutes so the filling firms and the biscuits settle — one cookie is about 68 g.
Resting lets the dulce de leche set, so the first bite is clean instead of squashed.
Done when: Coconut coats the edge evenly; the sandwich holds together when lifted.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve with mate or coffee, at room temperature — in Argentina, alfajores are an afternoon ritual, not just a biscuit.
Argentina
1h 25m
