Alfajores recipe

Alfajores are a South American treat made from delicious, coconutty shortbread sandwiched around a dulce de leche filling. We used a tin of Carnation caramel as an easy, accessible alternative to dulce de leche, but you can use dulce de leche to fill your alfajores to make them really authentic, if you prefer. Cornflour gives these biscuits such a melt in the mouth texture that makes them so irresistible and moreish. The shortbread-like biscuits are a delight on their own, but when paired with the sweet caramel they are transformed into something really amazing. Alfajores are luxury biscuits that are perfect for an afternoon tea or to serve as a sweet with tea or coffee at the end of a dinner party. Don’t just take our word for it, try making your own alfajores and you’ll soon see that these are the best biscuits you’ve never heard of!

Ingredients

• 60g caster sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 30g cornflour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 40g desiccated coconut
• 170g butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ tin Carnation caramel

Method

1. In a food processor, blitz together the sugar, flour, cornflour, baking powder, desiccated coconut, butter and a pinch of salt, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse until the mixture comes together. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 20mins.
2. Heat the oven to 170ºC. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured work surface to 3mm thickness. Cut the biscuits into 40 5cm rounds using a fluted cookie cutter. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 12-15mins. Remove and cool on a cooling rack. Once the biscuits have cooled, spread a little caramel over half of the biscuits, and top with the remaining biscuits to make 20-24 sandwiched biscuits.