Name: Peruvian Cornstarch Alfajores
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 30
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 225 grams unsalted butter at room temperature; 1 cup powdered sugar; 4 egg yolks at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1 1/2 cup flour without baking powder; Powdered sugar for dusting; chopped walnuts or ground nuts or coconut to decorate the edge, optional; Dulce de Leche, I used the Nestle can, available in Latin supermarkets

Versión en español

Peruvian Cornstarch Alfajores are my favorite cookies, I grew up eating them. In my family, any special occasion such as a birthday, baptism, family reunion, etc required a cookie buffet and Peruvian cornstarch Alfajores were always present.

This recipe is perfect, I’ve made it many times and these cookies have that sandy delicate texture that dissolves in the mouth, not very sweet, that complements the Dulce de Leche and crunchy walnuts.

Eat them carefully, because of the powdered sugar. It flies everywhere, and usually dusts black clothes … one option is to wear white or, what I do, make them small to eat them in one bite.
This recipe is adapted from our old family recipe and an old recipe from a Chilean magazine. These cookies keep their shape, so you can cut them in different shapes.

Peruvian Cornstarch Alfajores

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 30 1x
Category: Sweets
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Peruvian

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Description

Melt in your mouth cornstarch cookies.

Ingredients

Units Scale

225 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
4 egg yolks at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cup flour without baking powder
Powdered sugar for dusting
chopped walnuts or ground nuts or coconut to decorate the edge, optional
Dulce de Leche, I used the Nestle can, available in Latin supermarkets

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar, until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, fully beating in, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix well.
Add all the flour and cornstarch and mix until crumbs are formed, then use your hands to form a soft dough. Wrap in plastic film and let stand in refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum, or leave it overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
Divide dough into 2, roll until it is 1/2 cm. thick, don’t roll them thin because they are very fragile. Cut circles (I used one of 2cm in diameter).
Bake on a baking sheet cover with parchment or Silpat in a preheated oven at 180C or 350F for 13-15 minutes until they are lightly browned underneath, you can put them fairly close together since they almost do not grow. Cool completely on the baking sheet.
Fill with the Dulce de Leche. Optional around the edges too and roll in the ground walnuts.
Finally dust with powdered sugar, through a sieve.
Let stand 2 hours before serving, or you can fill them the day before. They last well three days in a locked box on the counter.