Five Alfajores I Ate 🥪🍪
Those emojis are me trying to say “sandwich cookie.”
Guolis Alfajor Intenso Negro on Aerolineas Argentina
36,000 feet above the sea.
I have returned from a week in Buenos Aires with what feels like even less knowledge of how to tango than I did before I left, and a habit of drinking espresso at 7pm. I also have… a lot of thoughts about flying on Aerolineas Argentina as they both confiscate your water (even if you buy it, completely sealed, post-security – I had to dump it out in a plant pot lol), and the flight attendant gave me attitude when I politely and meekly asked for another barf bag (now? really?). But I can get behind their in-air treats. While the dinner was not much to speak of (a soggy vegetable lasagne, a wilted meat empanada, and a packet of parmesan cheese flakes (?)), it did come with an alfajor – the signature Argentine cookie, which I can best describe as a really good moon pie with dulce de leche inside, and lightly fragrant, crumbly cookies. Alfajores come in a variety of flavors (which you will soon see), and this one was labeled “intenso negro,” enrobed in semisweet chocolate with a chocolate biscuit. “Intenso” was correct – the whole thing was intensely chocolatey, so much so that I had to double check with my taste buds that the filling was dulce de leche. Still, for an in-flight treat? A+.
70% Cacao Puro Alfajor from Havanna
Havanna is the most popular brand for alfajores in Buenos Aires, so for the rest of this newsletter I’ll be reviewing flavors from them. Even though all Havanna alfajores have the same signature foil wrapper and look, they’re not all the same size. I’ve noticed that some flavors are Hefy Bois, while others, like the nuez, below, are much thinner and lighter. The 70% Cacao Puro alfajor is definitely thicc. The coating of dark chocolate is much thicker than on the classic chocolate and white chocolate versions – possibly to show off the “70% Cacao Puro.” The cookie itself is also chocolate flavored. I’m not the hugest fan of dark chocolate, so I think that the extra-thicc layer of chocolate coating felt a bit too bitter for me. Thankfully, there’s an equally ample layer of sweet dulce de leche inside to offset the bitterness. The dark chocolate has a bit of Dutch process cocoa flavor, slightly chalky. In fact, the whole shebang sort of reminds me of a cakey Oreo. This one is not for me, but I also do not really enjoy thick slices of fudgy dark chocolate cake, which I know a lot of people do. If you are one of those, you might give it a try.
Alfajor Semelia from Havanna
Here’s a cute lil animation.
Why is there healthy alfajor??? An alfajor is a cookie. It is a cookie, a delicious cookie, filled with a thick layer of dulce de leche. I do not eat an alfajor to pretend it is a granola bar. This flavor is a mystery to me. I do not care that this alfajor is high in fiber. I care even less that it is low in sodium. It is nice that this is a gluten-free option, but I’m not sure why it had to be made “healthy” when a little dessert can be part of a healthy diet. It has six different kinds of seeds and nuts in it: chia, sunflower, white sesame, poppy, flax, and puffed quinoa seeds, which intrigued me, because I do love nuts and seeds, so I bought one. Unfortunately, this is bad. Very bad. I can taste the individual flax seeds and they have texture. The issue with this alfajor is that it is still trying to mimic the soft and cakey traditional Havanna, but that kind of cakey texture does not work well with all the seeds. Nuts and seeds are delicious, but in a crispy cracker format or a very thick, hearty bread or muffin. The coating of 70% dark chocolate is also not for me. But I was entertained by this concept.
Alfajor Nuez from Havanna
Now, this is an alfajor that absolutely nails the “nut” concept, unlike the semelia version. As you will soon learn, the white chocolate alfajor is my favorite variety. Unlike regular or dark chocolate, white chocolate doesn’t overpower the dulce de leche, and enhances the milky and creamy flavors. The addition of nuts (walnuts and brazil nuts) is a perfect hint of something extra. It reminds me of Mexican wedding cookies aka Russian tea cakes aka those holiday cookies of debatable nationality that are round shortbreads and have walnuts and are covered in lots of powdered sugar. The nut flavors here are very light, which is perfect, because it allows the floral and citrusy flavors in the cookie base to shine through. This alfajor is also on the lighter side, a little diminutive in shape, and slightly crumbly. A delicate cookie, perfect with tea.
Chocolate Blanco Alfajor from Havanna
You thought I would review the standard chocolate-coated Havanna alfajor – or perhaps even the pure dulce de leche one, which is covered in a light dusting of meringue – but I am not. The truth is, we could go on reviewing alfajores forever. I even ate a “fruta” one, filled with not dulce de leche (gasp!), but Italian quince jam. But as I do not have a great local source for alfajores, we must keep rallying past this topic. And I will leave you with my favorite – the Blanco. In my ordinary, American life I rarely consume white chocolate. It’s just not a flavor that shows up very often for me. But somehow, from the very first time I tasted this alfajor more than 5 years ago when my Argentine roommate brought them home from winter break, I loved it. White chocolate is often a bit too sweet, but so is dulce de leche, and the whole thing just works well here. I feel like it pairs well with the soft sweet and slightly flor cookie, the caramel-y dulce de leche, without disrupting the experience with a strong new flavor. It’s slightly thicker and sturdier than the Nuez above, but the white chocolate coating remains thin enough that it’s easy to bite through. 10/10.
Have a sweet weekend,
Soph
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P.P.S. Do you have a good local (New York or New Jersey) source for alfajores? Imported or otherwise? Not an online store, a physical store or bakery. Let me know! You can reply to this email.