Description
Delicious Heart-Shaped Alfajores! These Heart Shaped Dulce de Leche Cookie Recipe (Alfajores) feature soft, buttery cookies filled with rich Dulce de Leche and decorated with festive sprinkles. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion, this easy recipe is a sweet way to show someone you care!
Equipment You'll Need: Stand Electric Mixer, or Hand Mixer and 2 Large Bowls. Cookie Sheets. Parchment Paper. Wire Rack (optional). A Piping Bag (optional). Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutters or your favorite shape.
Ingredients
Alfajores Recipe Ingredients
- 3 cups of Cornstarch
- 1 and 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Unsalted Butter Sticks (softened)
- 1 and 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 Egg Yolks at room temperature
- 2 Whole Eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Zest from one Lemon
- 2 cups Dulce de Leche — See notes
- Sprinkles of the color of your choice - Adds a festive touch for Valentine’s Day or any celebration.
Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions for Heart-Shaped Dulce de Leche Alfajores Cookies
- Sift Dry Ingredients - In a mixing bowl, sift together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar - In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients - Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, add the whole eggs one at a time on low speed to avoid overmixing. Once combined, add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients - Slowly add the sifted dry mixture to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Mix until combined —avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough - Divide the cookie dough into three portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes to firm up the dough, making it easier to roll and cut. I like to flatten each portion into thin disks before chilling, this makes rolling the dough for cookie cutting more manageable.
- Cut and Chill Again - Roll out one portion of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutters (or your favorite shape) to cut out cookies. Place the cut cookies on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 30 minutes (this prevents spreading during baking).
- Heat Oven and Bake Cookies - Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake in the center rack for 10–12 minutes. The cookies should remain pale and should only be set without browning.
- Cool the Cookies - Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Avoid assembling the alfajores with warm cookies, as the filling may become too runny.
- Assemble the Cookies - Once cooled, pipe dulce de leche onto the center of each cookie base using a piping bag. Add another cookie on top, and gently press the top over the dulce de leche to create a filled cookie sandwich.
- Decorate and Serve - Roll the edges of each assembled cookie in festive sprinkles or dust with extra powdered sugar for a finishing touch. These easy cookies pair perfectly with coffee or as a sweet Valentine’s Day gift!
Notes
- Dulce de Leche can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, such as the La Lechera brand, which is available at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. You can also see above how to make your own DULCE DE LECHE at home.
- Homemade Dulce de Leche – You can make your own dulce de leche at home using sweetened condensed milk. Scroll up to find the easy instructions on how to make dulce de leche fast.
- Storage Suggestions - Store refrigerated in an air tight container for 5-10 days.
-- Other sweet treats with Dulce de Leche:
Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake with a Cream Cheese | A Latin Flair
Puff Pastry Christmas Trees with Dulce de Leche | A Latin Flair
Easy Dulce de Leche Apple Crisp Recipe Without Oats | A Latin Flair
Easy Dulce de Leche and Apple Empanadas (Baked) | A Latin Flair
Spiced Apple Streusel Coffee Cake with Dulce de Leche | A Latin Flair