Uruguayan chocolate alfajores — tender cocoa-and-orange sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche and dipped in melted chocolate. Rich and irresistible.
Chocolate alfajores are a decadent South American treat — tender cocoa shortbread cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and dipped in orange-scented milk chocolate. Melt-in-the-mouth and indulgent, they're a little bite of pure luxury.
Prep 30 min
Cook 15 min
Total 90 min
Medium
- 70g Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 25g Honey
- 175g All Purpose Flour
- 80g Cornstarch
- 30g Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 400g Dulce De Leche
- 500g Milk Chocolate
- 100g Butter
- Zest of 1 Orange
Video
Preparation
- For the cookies, cream the butter with the sugar for a few minutes, then add the egg and honey and mix well. Add the flour, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder and mix to a dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least half an hour or overnight.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment and preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Divide the dough in two, returning one half to the fridge. Roll the other out to about 2mm thick and cut out round cookies 5–6cm across — you should get 30 or more. Bake one sheet at a time for about 8–10 minutes, then leave to cool.
- Match cookies of the same size and sandwich them with about a teaspoon of dulce de leche.
- Chop the milk chocolate and melt it with the butter and orange zest over low heat. Dunk each sandwich cookie into the chocolate and leave to set on parchment before serving.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Chill the dough so the cookies hold their shape and stay tender.
- Roll thin and don't overbake — the cookies should stay soft, not crisp.
- Match the cookies by size so the sandwiches are neat and even.
- Let the chocolate coating set fully before serving for a clean finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — it's the easy route; warm it slightly so it spreads smoothly without cracking the cookies.
The cornstarch makes them delicate by design; handle gently and let them cool fully before filling.
In an airtight tin for up to a week — they soften and improve a day after filling.
