Alfajores

Alfajores are Peru's most beloved sweet treat, delicate sandwich cookies that arrived with the Spanish colonists and were perfected over centuries of Peruvian refinement. The Peruvian version features two impossibly tender, crumbly shortbread cookies made with cornstarch and flour in a ratio that produces a texture so delicate it practically dissolves on the tongue. These fragile discs are sandwiched together with a generous layer of manjar blanco (dulce de leche), Peru's signature caramel spread, and then rolled in powdered sugar that clings to the sticky edges. Every bakery, home kitchen, and street vendor in Peru has their own version, but the hallmarks remain the same: melt-in-your-mouth cookies, rich caramel filling, and a snowy dusting of sugar. They are the perfect companion to a cup of Peruvian coffee or tea.