Mar del Plata Style Alfajores

Alfajor marplatense is one of the most beloved variations of the Argentine alfajor: two chocolate cookie discs filled with plenty of thick dulce de leche and fully coated in chocolate.

Along with the alfajor cordobés (covered in glaze) and the santafesino (with more layers of dough and filling), it’s part of the large family of Argentine regional alfajores, each with its own signature style.

Mar del Plata Style Alfajores

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• Prep Time: 50 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
• Yield: 12 pieces
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 150 g of butter, at room temperature (about 5.3 oz)
• 150 g of sugar (about 5.3 oz)
• 2 of eggs
• 1 tablespoon of malt extract (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• to taste of orange zest (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 300 g of all-purpose flour (about 10.5 oz)
• 50 g of cocoa powder (about 1.75 oz)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 50 g of cornstarch (about 1.75 oz)
• 400 g of thick dulce de leche, for the filling (about 14 oz)
• 300 g of chocolate coating, for dipping (about 10.5 oz)

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Instructions

1. Cream the butter, beat the softened butter with the sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the liquids, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well, then the malt extract, honey, orange zest, and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and cornstarch, and gradually add to the mixture until you get a smooth dough.
4. Let it rest, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll and cut, roll out the dough and cut even discs with a round cutter.
6. Bake, bake the cookies for 13 minutes at 160°C (320°F), until firm but not dried out.
7. Fill, once cool, fill generously with thick dulce de leche using a piping bag.
8. Dip in chocolate, dip each alfajor in melted chocolate coating, covering completely, and let dry on a rack.

Tips for getting them right

• Chilling the dough makes it much easier to roll out and keeps it from sticking.
• Don’t overbake the discs: they should stay soft, since they firm up a bit as they cool.
• Use thick dulce de leche, firmer than the regular kind, so the filling doesn’t leak out while dipping the alfajores.
• Let the chocolate set well before storing the alfajores, so they don’t stick together.

Traditional variations

• The alfajor cordobés stands out for being covered with a shiny white glaze instead of chocolate.
• The alfajor santafesino usually has more layers of dough and filling, resulting in a taller cookie.

How to serve

Alfajores marplatenses are served at room temperature, as a dessert or paired with mate or coffee.

They’re a classic souvenir from the city of Mar del Plata and a staple of Argentine snack time.

Recommended sides

• Mate
• Coffee with milk
• Tea

Did you know?

The alfajor marplatense takes its name from the city of Mar del Plata, where it became one of Argentina’s most recognized food souvenirs.

Argentina has an enormous variety of regional alfajores, each with its own signature: the chocolate-coated marplatense, the glazed cordobés, and the multi-layered santafesino.