Peruvian alfajores are delicate, crispy cornstarch cookies sandwiched with homemade manjar blanco, a caramelized condensed milk filling made in the Instant Pot. Light and buttery with a smooth, creamy center, they're perfect for holidays or everyday indulgence.
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Empty the condensed milk into a stainless steel bowl that will fit down into your instant pot.
Stir in one teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.
Place one cup of water into the Instant Pot and then insert the stainless steel bowl directly in the water.
Cover with lid and cook under pressure for 80 minutes and allow it to release the pressure naturally.
The color should be dark and the consistency similar to jello. Let cool for ten minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer it to a container and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
Sift the flour and cornstarch into a large bowl and whisk together.
In a separate bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and pale in color.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined with a wooden spoon and then your hands.
Form the mixture into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 about 15 minutes before ready to bake. Line a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Cut the dough in half and roll it out until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into rounds.
Transfer the cut cookies to the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 16-20 minutes or until the tops are mosty firm on top and the edges are just beginning to brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spread the cookies with the manjar blanco and then place another cookie on top, creating a sandwich.
Dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar.
Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or assemble and store finished alfajores in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Instant Pot · stainless steel bowl (fits inside Instant Pot) · blender · 2-inch cookie cutter · wire cooling rack
Manjar blanco is a caramelized condensed milk filling, also known as dulce de leche. You can substitute store-bought dulce de leche or manjar blanco to skip the 80-minute Instant Pot step, though homemade has a fresher flavor.
Store assembled alfajores in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store unfilled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days and assemble them when ready to serve.
The dough must be refrigerated for at least one hour before rolling. If it's still sticky after chilling, dust your work surface generously with flour and work quickly. Chill again if needed.
The traditional method is water bath cooking, which takes 2-3 hours. You can also use store-bought dulce de leche or manjar blanco to skip this step entirely.
Peruvian alfajores use cornstarch in the dough for a lighter, crispier texture compared to other Latin American versions. They're also typically filled with manjar blanco rather than chocolate or other fillings.
