Cornflour alfajores

• 200 g Wheat flour
  Swaps (2)
• 200 g Butter (at room temperature)
  Swaps (2)
• 150 g Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 300 g Cornstarch
• 3 u Egg Yolks
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 400 g Dulce de leche (thick, pastry-style)
• 60 g Desiccated Coconut (finely desiccated)
• 0.5 teaspoons Bicarbonate Of Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 tablespoon Brandy (or cognac) (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Beat the butter with the sugar until creamy and pale. Add the yolks one at a time, followed by the vanilla, lemon zest and brandy.

   5 min

2. 2

   Sift together the cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add them to the creamed mixture in two batches, mixing only until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork it.

   5 min

3. 3

   Wrap it in cling film, flatten it into a disc and chill so it is easier to roll out.

   30 min

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 5 mm and cut out rounds about 5 cm across. Place them on lined baking trays, slightly apart.

   15 min

5. 5

   Bake until set and only just coloured underneath; the tops should still be pale.

   10 min

6. 6

   Leave them on the tray for a few minutes, as they are very fragile straight from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

   20 min

7. 7

   Sandwich the biscuits in pairs with a generous teaspoon of dulce de leche, pressing gently so it shows at the edge. Roll the edges in the coconut so it sticks to the dulce de leche.

   15 min