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queen maxima© @koninklijkhuis

Queen Máxima celebrates birthday by teaching us how to bake her favorite cookie

It might be the Queen’s birthday, but we’re celebrating just as much since we’ve got her prized cookie recipe


Robert Peterpaul
Weekend Editor
MAY 17, 2020 1:40 PM EDT

Happy birthday,  Queen Máxima ! The Netherlands royal marked her 49th in the best way possible while social-distancing at her palace. She baked her favorite cookies! And guess what? We have the royal recipe. Start your ovens!

“At this time I celebrate my birthday at home with a typical Argentinian delicacy: Alfajores from dulce de leche,” the Queen prefaced on the official account of the Royal House of the Netherlands. “I grew up with Alfajores, they are my favorite cookies! I bake them according to my mother’s recipe, which I like to share with you. So you can bake them yourself at home!”

queen maxima© @koninklijkhuis

Mother’s Ingredients

Biscuit ingredients:

- 300 gr cornstarch

- 200 gr flour

- 200 gr butter (at room temperature)

- 150 gr sugar

- 4 egg yolks

- 1 teaspoon of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

- 2 level teaspoons of baking powder

- The marrow from a small vanilla pod or a pinch of vanilla powder

- The grated zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon of cognac

Ingredients filling:

- Dulce de leche (ready-made or homemade with condensed milk and sugar)

- Grated coconut

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Preparation

“Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients with the softened butter in a bowl.”

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What the world kneads now...

Then add the egg yolks and brandy!

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Dough much love

Knead it into a firm dough! (Sidenote: Maxima’s royal wedding ring is the baking accessory we wish we had).

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Quick fix

Form a ball and let it rest for about an hour. If it seems like the dough is not sticking together, then add 2 spoons of lemon juice!

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Rolling in the deep

Roll out the dough into a rag from 5 mm to 7 mm and cut out circles of dough (with a glass) of about 4 cm in diameter.

Queen Maxima birthday© @koninklijkhuis

Queen Maxima bakes cookies for birthday

Then place the rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper, about 2 cm apart. Bake the cookies at 160 degrees for 10-12 minutes. The biscuits should discolour a little, not too much otherwise they will become too dry and break.

queen maxima© @koninklijkhuis

Here comes the ducle de leche

When the cookies are ready, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Always stick two cookies together with a layer of dulce de leche. Spread the dulce de leche well to the edge.

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On a roll

Finally, roll those edges through the grated coconut.

queen maxima birthday© koninklijkhuis

Queen Maxima bakes cookies for birthday

“The Alfajores de dulce de leche are ready: enjoy!” the caption exclaims at the end. Be sure to tag us @HOLAUSA on Instagram if you make these!