Makes: 36 biscuits
Prep time: 25 minutes
Chill time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 13 minutes
Assembly time: 20 minutes
Before he became Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a child. And like most children growing up in Buenos Aires, Jorge loved Alfajores.
These delicate little cookie sandwiches, soft biscuits gently hugging gooey caramel and rolled in coconut, were his lifelong favourite. Each bite was layered with memories of home, simple joy, and a touch of sweet nostalgia.
Now the Pope’s beloved Alfajores recipe is yours to share, bake, and bless your kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
For the biscuits:
100g butter
100g icing sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Zest of 1 lime
200g white flour
100g cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
1 tin condensed milk caramel (available in supermarkets or make your own by boiling an unopened tin fully submerged in water for 3 hours, topping up water as needed)
Desiccated coconut, for dipping
METHOD
Cream butter and icing sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, egg yolk, vanilla essence, and lime zest, mixing well.
Gently fold in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
Form dough into a ball, flatten to a disc, and chill in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 155°C.
Divide dough in half. Dust your work surface generously with cornstarch. Roll dough thinly (¼ to ⅛ inch) and cut into 4cm circles.
Lightly grease your Ironclad pan and arrange biscuits about ½ cm apart.
Bake for 11–12 minutes until just set. Biscuits should remain pale, not browned.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Assembly
Warm caramel for 15 seconds in the microwave and stir until smooth and shiny.
Spread half a teaspoon of caramel onto the base of half the biscuits. Top with remaining biscuits, pressing gently until caramel slightly oozes out.
Roll edges in desiccated coconut.
Every great recipe deserves a playlist.
If you're looking for a little divine baking music, here's a playlist of Pope Francis' favourites to set the mood for making Alfajores. Songs gathered from different eras of his life, to help reveal the person behind the Pope. Listen on Spotify.
