This variation of my Peruvian Cornstarch Alfajores with Manjar Blanco will blow your mind. Raspberry alfajores are a new level of deliciousness, with that tangy and sweet addition from the raspberry marmalade at the centre.
My cornstarch alfajores
My Peruvian cornstarch alfajores are very well-known among my family and friends. They’re made with soft cookies that melt in your mouth and are filled with manjar blanco, the Peruvian version of Dulce de Leche. I posted that recipe back in 2018 and so I was aching to post a new variation on it. This recipe I created for my new TV show here in Chile and it was definitely a hit! In this Raspberry Alfajores recipe, they’re also filled with raspberry marmalade. It’s a perfect addition to them, balancing out the sweetness with the perfect amount of tanginess.
Baking the cookies for the raspberry alfajores
In order to get soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, it’s important to bake the cookies for these raspberry alfajores just enough. You want to remove them from the oven while they’re still completely white. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes. If you’re unsure about the time, you can always bake one cookie and see how it goes and then adapt the time from that one. They’re also softer if you wait overnight before eating them, although it’s tough to resist the urge to eat them!
Homemade Manjar Blanco
To fill these raspberry alfajores I used my homemade manjar blanco recipe. If you’re not familiar with manjar blanco, it’s the version of dulce de leche that we eat in Perú. It’s made by cooking condensed and evaporated milk until it thickens and caramelizes. The result is delicious and has a more delicate taste than the average dulce de leche. It’s really the perfect complement to the soft cornstarch cookies.
Raspberry alfajores
Using the manjar blanco inside a piping bag, I made a ring going all around the cookie’s outer edge. Then, in the centre of that, I added a bit of raspberry marmalade and then top with another cookie. This results in a delicious surprise on the inside that’s really tasty. You can also use other flavours of marmalade of course. I think that cherry, strawberry and blackberry would also work really well.
More alfajores
If you’re a fan of alfajores (and honestly, who isn’t?), here are other alfajores recipes that you might find interesting here in my blog:
Raspberry Cornstarch Alfajores with Manjar Blanco
Ingredients
For the cornstarch cookies
- 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 100 g sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp water
- 250 g cornstarch
- 70 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- icing sugar for dusting
For the manjar blanco
- 400 g evaporated milk
- 400 g condensed milk
For the filling
- 100 g thick raspberry marmalade
Instructions
For the cornstarch cookies
- Mix the butter with the sugar using a whisk until you have an even paste.
- Add the yolks and water and mix again.
- Sift the dry ingredients and mix them in using a spatula until it can't help you any longer and switch to your hands. Don't knead it, just mix it in because if you work it too much it goes tough.
- Wrap in cling film and take to the fridge for 30min so we can roll it out later. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have it in there longer than an hour, take it out and let it warm up a bit before rolling it so it doesn’t break.
- Dust a clean surface with flour and also put some on top of the dough. Roll it out until it has 3mm thickness, moving it around after every roll to make sure it's not sticking.
- Cut out the alfajores’ cookies and place them on a baking tray with a silpat or baking paper.
- Take to a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 8min.
- Let it cool down completely before filling.
For the manjar blanco
- Put the milks in a large pot and stir constantly with a spatula on medium-low heat until you can clearly see the base of the pot. For further reference watch the video above.
- Transfer to a large container (so it cools faster) and let it come to room temperature. Place the manjar blanco in a piping bag with a small tip.
- Make a ring on the outside of a cookie with the manjar blanco and place raspberry marmalade at the centre. Top with another cookie
- Dust with icing sugar.
