Alfajores are a South American pastry treat that is decadent and delicious. Upon first sight, youād be forgiven for mistaking them for an oreo, but theyāre far crumblier and lighter. If you manage to get hold of them, is there a way to store them long-term?
Can You Freeze Alfajores?
Yes, you can freeze alfajores for up to 1 month. The easiest way to do this is very simple indeed. Start by lining an airtight container, and then transfer the cookies into the container, trying to minimize the amount of air in the container where possible.
Do Do Alfajores freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Alfajores? No
How to Freeze Alfajores
Before you get to freezing them, we recommend starting with fresh alfajores, so if youāre making them yourself, try to do so just before freezing them.
Be sure theyāre thoroughly cooled before you follow our method for freezing them. Otherwise, youāll be generating condensation, which is a surefire way to allow for alfajores to become softer and softer.
- Line a Container: Once the alfajores are prepared, line a large container roughly the size you need to fit them in. We want to eliminate as much excess air as possible, so picking a container that will only just about contain the cookies is a great idea.
- Stack: Place the alfajores into the containers in a stack. If you’re worried that they will stick together then place a square of greaseproof paper between each biscuit.
- Seal: Once the cookies are stacked up in the lined container, seal the lid on top, ensuring not to press down on the cookies. We lined the container simply to provide an insulating air barrier between the freezer and the cookies.
- Label and Freeze: Once the container is sealed, label it with the correct date before placing it in the centre of the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Alfajores
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing alfajores to have the best results:
Ensure a Tight Seal
When the container itself is sealed, the area within the container is to keep the food inside as safe as possible. This means that ensuring the container is sealed will allow you to manage the cookies easily – the container is doing a lot of work for you.Ā
Separate With Greaseproof Paper
If you’re worried that the biscuits will clump together, place a square of greaseproof paper between each cookie. This should go some way to stopping them from sticking to each other. Ā
Avoid Powders
Icing sugar, cocoa powder, or similar fine powders can clump up in the freezer. Not only is this poor to look at and taste, but itās also something that will ruin the texture of your alfajores. Therefore, avoiding powders until after freezing will maintain the cookies a little better.
How Long Can You Freeze Alfajores?
You can freeze alfajores for around 30 days.
Beyond that time, the moisture within the freezer, and the dulce de leche, will start to moisten the cookies, leading to them going stale over time. Therefore, we would recommend freezing them for a thirty-day maximum for the best possible quality.
Alfajores can be kept in the fridge for around 6 days in an airtight container. They should be removed from the fridge to bring them up to room temperature before they are eaten.
How Do You Defrost Alfajores?
The easiest way to defrost cookies as light and delicate as these is simply to leave them on the counter for around fifteen minutes.
After that time, any ice will have melted and evaporated, leaving you with a ready-to-eat cookie!
Can You Refreeze Alfajores?
Yes, you can refreeze alfajores.
However, the ice crystals will disturb the structure of the cookies a little, which can mean that theyāre less enjoyable when you finally get around to thawing them that last time. Therefore, refreezing them might not be your best option – only thaw what you know youāll eat.
Do Alfajores Freeze Well?
Yes, alfajores do freeze well. While the pastry can be degraded a little after several; trips through the freezer, it tends to do okay with just one trip.
Therefore, we would argue that, in most cases, alfajores freeze quite well.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing alfajores or alfajores in general, then these may help:
Yes, alfajores dough can be frozen in good-quality freezer bags. Make sure you freeze it in portions as, once thawed, you’ll need to bake the whole batch of dough.
