Alfajores, dulce de leche sandwich cookies

Name: Alfajores, dulce de leche sandwich cookies
Ingredients: 100 g butter; 75 g sugar; 1 egg; 2 egg yolks; 100 g flour; 150 g cornstarch; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 400 g dulce de leche; 30 g shredded coconut (optional)

Dessert - Alfajores, dulce de leche sandwich cookies by Vicentia N. - Recipia

Alfajores are tender cookies made with flour and cornstarch, sandwiched with dulce de leche; they stay pale after baking. This South American treat has thin layers that break easily, with caramel between them. I like to roll the edges in coconut. Prep: 25 minutes. Cook: 5 minutes. Rest: 150 minutes. Total time: 180 minutes. Servings: 12. About 290 kcal and 4 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

100 g butter
75 g sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
100 g flour
150 g cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
400 g dulce de leche
30 g shredded coconut (optional)

Preparation

1. Beat the softened butter with the sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg, then the yolks. 2. Mix the flour with the cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder. Add the mixture to the butter and combine without kneading too much. 3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. 4. Roll the dough out into a thin sheet and cut out shapes. I made mine flower-shaped. 5. Heat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the cookies on a baking tray and bake for about 5 minutes, until the bottoms are just set; the cookies should stay pale. 6. Leave them to cool for 30 minutes. Spread dulce de leche on half the cookies and top with the rest. If you like, roll the edges in coconut.

Notes

The size of the cutters affects how quickly the cookies bake, and wide ones need more attention than small ones. The dulce de leche needs to be firm enough to hold between the layers; if it is soft, chill it before filling the cookies. Butter with a standard fat content works well for the cookies, so there is no need for specially flavored butter. You can bake the cookies a day ahead and fill them later. Store the filled cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The coconut around the edges is optional, and the layers can be left plain. The dough contains gluten, dairy and eggs. Serve them with a cup of black tea, which won't overpower their sweetness.