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Pisco Cookies

These alfajores are a South American speciality, particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay, but found throughout the continent, and often sold in ‘white’ and ‘black’ versions, coated in chocolate. This version doesn’t include the chocolate—but feel free to add your own.

  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) cornflour
  • 150g (5 ½ oz) plain flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 175g (6 oz) sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ¼ tsp vanilla
  • 100g (4 oz) dulce de leche
  • icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp pisco (brandy will do in an emergency)
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and butter a large baking sheet. Whisk together the cornflour, flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Separately, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the egg yolks, pisco and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well mixed and if the dough is sticky add 1 or 2 tbsp more flout until soft. Roll out the dough to about 3mm (1/8 inch) thick and cut out cookies—a 4cm (1 ½ inch) cookie cutter is perfect, and will make about 32 rounds.
  2. Put these on the baking tray with some space between them and bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm and pale golden around the edges. Allow to cool, then stick the cookies together in pairs with about ½ tsp of dulche de leche each. Dust with the icing sugar to serve.
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