Alfajores [All -Fah – Ho – Res] are cookies found in some parts of South America. Many of the countries that make Alfajores have their own way of making them, some like to dip it in chocolate and others prefer the powdered sugar on top.
These delectable cookies are not only easy to make, but they are also one of my favorite desserts to eat. Thankfully my amazing grandmother shared her recipe with me and now I get to make them at home without having to travel to Peru (or Miami).
The recipe below is for the traditional Peruvian alfajores with powdered sugar on top.
Ingredients
4 cups of corn starch
1 kg of flour (about 8 cups )
1/2 kg of shortening (about 4 cups)
1/2 kg of butter (about 4 cups)
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 – 2 cans of La Lechera Dulce de Leche (Caramel)
Instructions
1) In a large bowl, mix in the 4 cups of corn starch, 1 kg of flour, 1/2 kg of shortening and 1/2 kg of butter.
2) Find a flat surface, lightly flour the surface, roll the dough and flatten it out with the rolling pin. Make sure to not make it too thin or too fat.
3) Once it is flat, use a round cookie cutter (small or large, whichever you prefer) and make round shapes in the dough. In my case, I decided to do heart shapes, but the original alfajores are always round.
4) Preheat oven to 350°F . Place shaped dough on the baking pan. Greasing the baking pan is optional, but I do recommend to grease it a little bit.
5) Bake for 10 minutes. Make sure the cookie is baked and not browned. Remember every oven is different, so you will need to constantly check to make sure they are not burning.
6) Let it cool for 5 minutes. Spread the Manjar Blanco/Dulce de Leche (Caramel) on the inside and sprinkle some powdered sugar on the top.
Voila! you are done. You have officially made Peruvian Alfajores.
Also, if you were wondering what manjar blanco is, that is just another way to say caramel in Peru.
Hopefully, you found my recipe helpful and I hope you enjoy the alfajores as much as I do.
– Hanny
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