Name: Cornstarch alfajores
Yield: About 24 sandwiches
Cuisine: Argentina; South America
Ingredients: 300 g Cornstarch Not cornmeal; 200 g All-purpose flour; 2.5 mL Baking soda; 10 mL Baking powder; 150 g Icing sugar Sifted; 200 g Unsalted butter Softened; 3 large Egg yolks Room temperature; 5 mL Alcohol-free vanilla Equivalent-strength flavouring; From 1 medium lemon Lemon zest; As needed Baking dulce de leche Thick, pipeable; As needed Desiccated coconut Unsweetened

Method

01 · Mix
Chill 30 min
Use: Dry; Cream; Wet
Sift dry. Cream sugar/butter; add yolks individually, then vanilla and zest. Fold dry in thirds; press together without kneading.
Ready when: Cohesive
01 Bring the dough togetherFold in the dry ingredients and press together gently, then chill.
02 · Roll
10 min
Use: Dough
Roll portions between sheets to 8–10 mm; chill.
Ready when: Firm enough to cut
02 Roll between sheetsRoll the dough evenly between sheets, then chill until firm enough to cut.
03 · Cut
Before baking
Use: Dough
Preheat. Cut 4.5 cm circles; keep unbaked dough chilled.
Ready when: Clean circles
03 Cut the circlesCut clean circles and keep the remaining dough chilled.
04 · Bake
10–12 min
Use: Cookies
Bake on middle rack; cool completely.
Ready when: Set but pale
04 Bake until pale and setKeep the biscuits pale and let them cool completely before filling.
05 · Fill
After cooling
Use: Cookies; filling; coconut
Pipe filling; sandwich gently. Roll edges in coconut.
Ready when: Stable sandwich
05 Fill and coatSandwich with thick dulce de leche and roll the edges in coconut.

What to look for

Stage	Look / feel for	Needs attention
Mixing	Dough compresses together	Elastic kneaded dough
Bake	Pale, set tops	Brown edges

Troubleshooting

If you see this	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Crumbly dough	Naturally delicate mixture	Press gently together	Do not knead
Spreading	Warm dough	Chill cut rounds	Work in portions
Sliding filling	Dulce de leche too loose	Use baking-grade filling	Cool cookies fully

Use alcohol-free vanilla. Roll the filled cookie edges in coconut.

Ingredient choices & substitutions

Ingredient	Specified type	Brand	Status
Starch	Pure cornstarch	None	Required for selected texture
Filling	Baking/repostero dulce de leche	None	Required consistency

Ingredient	Alternative / ratio	Adjust handling	Likely outcome
Regular dulce de leche	Baking-grade dulce de lecheSame filling thickness	Use a thick, pipeable product	Less leakage
Vanilla extract	Alcohol-free vanillaEquivalent flavour strength	Read product dosage	Flavour varies by product

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

Montenegro uses a whole egg plus yolks and traces her version to Doña Petrona. Bea/Marco use yolks only and more baking powder. Shared regional ancestry is plausible; agreement is not treated as independent testing.

Cook / recipe	Use	What differs
Bea & MarcoEl Mundo EatsClassic Argentine Alfajores	Selected formula and method · Argentine family influence acknowledged	Yolks only; 8–10 mm discs
Paula MontenegroVintage Kitchen NotesAlfajores Recipe	Comparison and filling consistency · Credits Doña Petrona; independence unresolved	Whole egg plus yolks; less baking powder

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Whisk	Use a fork for small liquid mixtures. For whipping cream or egg whites, use a balloon whisk or electric beaters.
Rolling pin	Use a clean, smooth, sturdy bottle with its cap secured. Roll gently; for pastry, keep the bottle cool and dry.
4.5 cm cutter	Use a similarly sized food-safe round cutter or cut simple squares with a knife; shape and size affect baking time.
Lined trays	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Whisk	Use a fork for small liquid mixtures. For whipping cream or egg whites, use a balloon whisk or electric beaters.
Rolling pin	Use a clean, smooth, sturdy bottle with its cap secured. Roll gently; for pastry, keep the bottle cool and dry.
4.5 cm cutter	Use a similarly sized food-safe round cutter or cut simple squares with a knife; shape and size affect baking time.
Lined trays	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.

Cornstarch alfajores

Cornstarch alfajores