Peruvian Alfajores AKA Dulce De Leche Cookies   From The Cookie Party Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Cookie Exchange St. Martin's Press/Macmillan by Robin Olson (www.cookie-exchange.com) After Robin served an Americanized version of alfajores for her cookie exchange party, I called my relatives in Peru and had them send me a true Peruvian Alfajore cookie recipe. Enjoy! Submitted by Iris.

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Dough
4 cups of cornstarch (or substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups cornstarch)
6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon almond extract
5 to 8 tablespoons milk Filling 1 (14-ounce) can La Lechera dulce de leche
(I use Nestlé brand) or make your own (see Note)
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the cornstarch (and/or flour) and confectioners’ sugar at least once; set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients slowly and mix until a soft dough is formed. (Add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time, only if necessary, to soften the dough.)

Lightly flour a smooth, clean surface. Divide the dough for ease of handling and lay out a piece of the dough on the floured surface. Roll out the dough to a thickness of inch.

Cut out the cookies with a round cutter, approximately 2½ inches in diameter. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

When the cookies have completely cooled, carefully spread some of the manjarblanco (dulce de leche) on the bottom side of a cookie and top with another cookie.

Dust the cookie sandwiches with confectioners’ sugar on both sides.

Note: To make your own dulce de leche filling:

Place an unopened 14-ounce can of condensed milk on a rack or steamer in a pot, so the can isn’t touching the bottom of the pot. Cover with water and boil for 3 hours, checking the water level and adding water as needed. Important warning: The can could explode if it’s set on the bottom of the pan! Be sure to use a raised rack!

Variation: After filling the cookies, roll the sides in coconut. Desiccated coconut is preferred; however, flaked sweetened coconut works well, too. (See Resources, for dessicated coconut.)