Alfajores -Chilean Dulce de Leche Cookies

Alfajores are cookies that are made in several South American countries, each country altering the ingredients just a bit. I did a lot of research and looked at a couple cookbooks my husbands family sent me from Chile and Ecuador and made some changes that made these cookies what they are – delicious! Lightly sweet, super soft cookies, and more often than not are eaten up by my family before I can even add the dulce de leche to them to make a sandwich cookie ? If dulce de leche is not your thing, they are also incredibly delicious with some jam – raspberry is my personal favorite! In some countries they use cornstarch and egg yolks, some have you roll out the dough and cut the cookies out, but I preferred this recipe to all the rest. I wanted them to be as easy as possible and rolling out dough at times it can be fun, but it is also time consuming!

The Nestle dulce de leche is found in the latino/spanish food aisle in really any grocery store. It is the only one I have ever used. I am sure the others are just as good, I am going to have to try the others as well!

I am a big fan of always using real butter when I bake. Many recipes I grew up making say that using margarine is just as good, but I have to disagree. I follow Becky from Bite of Delight on Instagram, and she is the sweetest! She always shares the great deals she finds, and because of her I was able to stock up on a bunch of Land ‘o Lakes butter from a great sale at Smith’s! Gotta love great deals!

You can spread on the dulce de leche straight from the can, or you can do what I did and add a few spices – just a bit – cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, tastes like Christmas!

Using my fine mesh strainer I added a bit of powdered sugar on the top – as is customary with any Alfajor from any country.

This is seriously one of the best cookies you have probably never heard of, but you should definitely try! Please let me know what you and your family think about them!

See the Happy!

Alfajores – Chilean Dulce de Leche Cookies

Lightly sweetened sandwich cookies with dulce de leche in the middle. If dulce de leche is not your thing, they are incredible with jam as well!

Servings Prep Time
36 cookies 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter room temp
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 6 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 13.4 oz cans dulce de leche I buy Nestle brand, you can also substitute jam for the sandwich center instead.

If you want to add a bit of spice to the dulce de leche

  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Prep two cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with Pam.
  2. Put the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and mix on medium for two minutes, until fluffy.
  3. While the sugar and butter are mixing, measure the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time and mix until well combined.
  5. Alternate adding a bit of the flour mixture with the liquids – the milk, orange juice, and vanilla. Make sure to use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to ensure you are mixing it all in. Mix for a full 2 minutes. The dough will seem a little runny and that is how its supposed to be ?
  6. Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop (I got mine at Orson Gygi), scoop the cookies on the cookie sheet (I do 5 across, 3 up and down). Put in the oven and bake 12-14 minutes. While that is baking scoop cookies onto the other sheet.
  7. Open the dulce de leche cans add to a small bowl. Mix in the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg if you desire. We love them with and without so it is really your preference.
  8. Once the cookies have baked remove from oven and allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to cooling racks. Add more dough and alternate baking through on the two cookie sheets until you have baked all the dough, about 4-5 times. It will seem like A LOT of cookies, but you have to remember you need two cookies per Alfajor.
  9. Once they have cooled, spread a good amount of dulce de leche or jam, whichever you prefer, over the bottom of one cookie. Add another cookie to the top to complete the sandwich. Lay on the cookie sheet or a plate and put a small amount of powdered sugar in a mesh strainer and lightly tap with your hand to dust the top of the cookies. Enjoy!