Alfajores de Maicena

Ingredients

• 120 g Cornstarch
• 80 g Flour
• 0.5 tsp Baking Powder
• 0.125 tsp Salt
• 60 g Butter
• 50 g Sugar
• 1 pcs Egg Yolk
• 0.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 pcs Lemon
• 120 g Dulce De Leche
• 20 g Unsweetened Coconut

Method

1. Whisk {cornstarch}, {flour}, {baking_powder}, and {salt} in a bowl until evenly combined so the dough bakes up light and tender.
2. Beat {butter} and {sugar} in a bowl for several minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in {egg_yolk}, {vanilla_extract}, and finely grated zest from {lemon} until smooth and fragrant.
3. Fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture just until combined, pressing gently into a soft dough without overworking so the cookies stay delicate.
4. Wrap the dough and refrigerate until firm enough to roll cleanly; this relaxes the dough and helps the rounds keep their shape.
5. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface, then cut small rounds and transfer them to a lined tray, keeping the thickness even for delicate sandwich cookies.
6. Bake the rounds in a preheated oven at medium heat until set and pale with barely any color, rotating the tray if needed for even baking.
7. Cool the cookies on the tray briefly, then move them to a rack until fully cooled so the filling stays thick and neat.
8. Spread {dulce_de_leche} generously onto half the cookies, sandwich with the rest, then roll the edges in {unsweetened_coconut} for the classic finish.