There are cookies for everyday eating. Then there are alfajores, the Iberian peninsula, South American sweet sandwich treats made of melt-away exteriors and filled with smooth, rich dulce de leche. The cookies themselves vary in texture, from a crumbly shortbread to a soft cake style. Their richness makes them a particularly festive treat this time of year. Bring a box of alfajores to a gathering instead of a bottle of wine, and watch your friends close their eyes as they sink into that first luxurious bite.
You can make them at home. Don’t worry about producing your own dulce de leche for the filling because there are so many delicious jarred versions available in Latino and gourmet grocery stores. You can also use cajeta, which is the Mexican version made with goat’s milk. If you can find it, use dulce de leche “repostero,” which is extra thick and will make sandwiching the cookies easier.
The characteristic texture of alfajores comes from a mix of flour and cornstarch in the dough, like this one from Argentina, which is flavored with brandy and lemon zest. Here’s another recipe from Peru that is flavored with anise seed. Make both and do a tasting!
I suggest filling the cookies right before gifting or serving. You can make the cookies in advance and store them in a tin, then sandwich them with filling as you need.
Gusto Bread in Long Beach offers these Alfajores de Nuez with a crumbly shortbread made with walnuts. Photo courtesy of Gusto Bread.
If you prefer to buy your alfajores, you can find them in bakeries, most Peruvian restaurants, and specialty markets that carry popular brands from Argentina, where the sandwich cookies are dipped in chocolate. This is to preserve the texture of the cookies. It adds another dimension to the experience.
Gusto Bakery
Long Beach
Grand Casino Bakery & Cafe
Culver City
Catalina’s Market
Hollywood
-They carry several brands of imported alfajores.
El Gaucho Meat Market
Redondo Beach
-They offer homemade and imported brands.
Mercado Buenos Aires
Van Nuys/Granada Hills
-They offer homemade and imported brands.
Restaurants
Mario’s Peruvian & Seafood
Melrose
El Pollo Imperial
Long Beach
Online
Wooden Table
Oakland
Jezabel’s
Philadelphia