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Argentine

Alfajores de maicena

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Melt-in-the-mouth cornstarch shortbread cookies sandwiched with thick dulce de leche and rolled in coconut — a favourite sweet of Argentina and Uruguay.

Alfajores de maicena is an Argentine sweet from Argentina, ready in about 1 hour 50 minutes and made with cornstarch and dulce de leche. It serves 18 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 50 min
Serves
18
Level
Intermediate
Calories
170

Ingredients

18 alfajores

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Sift the cornstarch (opens in a new tab), flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt together.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Beat the butter and sugar (opens in a new tab) until creamy, then beat in the yolks one at a time with the vanilla (opens in a new tab) and lemon zest (opens in a new tab). Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C. Roll the dough 5 mm thick on a floured surface and cut 5 cm rounds; re-roll scraps once. Place on lined trays.

  4. Step 4

    Bake in batches until set and dry but still pale, 8–10 minutes — they should not colour. Cool completely on the trays; they are fragile while warm.

  5. Step 5

    Sandwich pairs with a generous teaspoon of dulce de leche (opens in a new tab), then roll the edges in coconut. Let them rest 30 minutes to soften slightly.

    • 10 min

About this dish

Origin
Argentina · Commonly attributedAlfajores came to South America from Spain, where they have Moorish roots; this cornstarch style is especially loved in Argentina and Uruguay.Also popular in Uruguay, Chile, PeruMore food from Argentina
Dish
Snack · Dessert · Sweets & confectionery · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, buttery, creamy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Cornstarch · Dulce de leche · All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Unsalted butter · Sugar
Techniques
Baking

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, dulce de leche
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

170 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 44 g · recipe makes 18

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 60%
  • Fat 35%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy170 kcal388 kcal
Protein2.2 g5.1 g
Carbohydrate25.5 g58 g
Net carbohydrate25.3 g57.5 g
Sugars12.5 g28.5 g
Added sugars10.8 g24.7 g
Fibre0.2 g0.5 g
Fat6.5 g14.9 g
Saturated fat3.8 g8.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol48 mg108 mg
Sodium96 mg219 mg
Salt equivalent0.2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
70 mg
Calcium
70 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Magnesium
6 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
61 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
22 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: desiccated coconut.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Alfajores are even better the next day, once the cookies absorb some moisture from the filling.

Common mistakes

  • Overbaking until golden makes them crisp instead of tender and crumbly.

Storage

  • Keep airtight at room temperature up to 5 days.

Variations

  • Chocolate-dipped alfajores: Dip the filled cookies in melted dark or white chocolate.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 5

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 1 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 20 min at 170 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 50 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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