These melt-in-the-mouth shortbread sandwich cookies, known as alfajores, originated in Spain and are now popular throughout Latin America. Our version features a dulce de leche filling and a finishing coating of coconut, a popular addition in Mexico. If you’re short of time, substitute store-bought dulce de leche.
Makes about 16 sandwich cookies
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
CHILLING TIME: 1 hour
COOKING TIME: 12 to 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Dulce de Leche
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Beat together the butter, icing sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy using an electric mixer, wooden spoon, or spatula in a large bowl.
- Stir in the flour until the dough becomes stiff. Use your hands to incorporate all the flour if necessary.
- Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a disc about ½ inch thick. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate it until firm, about 1 hour. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the fridge about 1 hour before rolling it out.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F when ready to bake. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Dust a large piece of parchment or wax paper with a little flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the paper. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out to about ⅛-inch thickness. If the dough cracks, let it stand at room temperature until it softens enough to roll.
- Using a 2-inch cutter, cut out 32 cookies, rerolling the dough scraps once. Rerolling the scraps more than once makes the cookies tough. If the dough becomes too soft to roll, rewrap it and return it to the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- Place the cookies, 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
- Spread half of the cookies with dulce de leche, using about 1 teaspoonful per cookie. You won’t need the full recipe of dulce de leche if you opt to make your own. Top with the remaining cookies, squeezing them together gently. Spread the coconut (if using) on a large plate. Roll the edges of the cookie sandwiches in the coconut to coat them. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
