Dulce de leche, buttery crumbly biscuits and a dusting of desiccated coconut make South American biscuits known as Alfajores. From Uruguay to Argentina, every region has a special way of baking them but they are simple to make and even easier to eat! Just think of them as shortbread’s tropical cousin.
I really love to bake but biscuits are definitely new territory for me! If they’re any tropical or more exotic type of biscuits that are worth baking do let me know in the comments.
The caramel flavour and nutty coconut in Alfjaores work really well together. If you like things on the sweeter side these biscuits are perfect for you. Make sure to use dulce de leche (a sweet caramel like sauce made from condensed milk from South America) for an authentic biscuit. You can buy it online from here otherwise go for Carnation’s caramel which is essentially the same thing.
They do look very pretty too so you could make them as a gift for someone else or have them as an after dinner treat. Enjoy!
Makes 18 biscuits
Prep 60 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 70 mins
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cognac
1/4 tsp salt
225g plain flour, sifted and extra for rolling cookies
100g cornflour, sifted
400g dulce de leche or Carnation caramel
30g desiccated coconut
Method
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk until fluffy and pale. Add the egg, vanilla extract, cognac and salt.
Mix in the flours with the wet ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough into two parts, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C / gas mark 5 / 170C fan oven and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2cm in thickness, cut out 36 biscuits with a round 6cm cutter.
Bake for 10 minutes (they should be pale in colour and a slightly grainy texture). Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes and then sandwich the biscuits with a little dulce de leche.
Roll the sides in desiccated coconut and they are ready to eat!
