Recipe: Alfajorcitos de Maizena, a South American Treat

We have talked about dulce de leche and how to make it, and I have also shared with you two recipes that include dulce de leche:  Dulce de Leche Cheesecake and Hyde Park Dessert Bars.  Today I want to share with you a South American staple:  Alfajorcitos de Maizena.  These cornstarch cookies with dulce de leche filling are a staple in all homes in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay; and there are several variations for every other South American country.  You can find them everywhere from tea time at most homes, to birthday parties and even formal affairs.

This recipe I will share with you comes from my mom, and she has been using the same recipe for the last 50 years or so... :)   All recipes for Alfajorcitos de Maizena are fairly similar, there isn't much room for variation, as you will see.   So let's get cooking!

Ingredients

(makes 2 dozen 2" Alfajorcitos)

8 oz butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste

1 tsp baking soda

20 oz dulce de leche

powdered sugar

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and eggs until light and fluffy.

 

 

Add the eggs and the vanilla extract (or vanilla paste) and beat until well combined.

 

 

Add the flour, cornstarch and baking soda and mix until you can't see any of the flour anymore.  Do not over-beat.

 

 

 

With your hands, and without much kneading, form a ball with the dough.   Place the dough inside a zip bag and flatten to form a disc.   Refrigerate the disk for about 30 minutes or until the batter is cold but not hard.

 

 

 

 

Preheat an oven to 350 degr. F.

 

Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place a large piece of parchment paper on your working surface; we will roll and cut the dough on the parchment paper.

 

Remove about 1/3 of the dough from the refrigerator, and return the rest to the fridge.  Dip your fingertips in cornstarch and lightly coat your rolling pin with the cornstarch.  Roll the dough as thin as possible, without kneading.  The secret to melt-in-your-mouth Alfajorcitos is to not overwork the dough.

 

 

 

Using a 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough.  Then remove the excess around the dough circles.  Very gently lift the Alfajorcitos one by one an place them on the parchment-lined cookie sheet.

 

 

 

 

Continue to roll, cut and transfer until you fill the cookie sheet.  Put in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, monitoring the Alfajorcitos every few minutes as they bake.  As soon as they start showing signs of browning on the edges, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

 

 

Repeat the steps above until you use up all the dough.

 

Now it is time to fill the cookies with the dulce de leche.  Simply place a generous teaspoon of dulce de leche on top of one cookie and then top with another one, gently pressing them together.

 

 

 

 

Sift some powdered sugar on top.   You can also roll the edges on shredded coconut for a different look and taste.

 

 

 

These taste even better the next day!  Just store them in an air-tight container at room temperature, do not refrigerate.

 

Enjoy!

MariaS