Peruvian Alfajores

Alfajores are cookies filled with "Dulce de Leche" a delicacy peruvians bring as a gift to a person´s bday or as a gift for valentines day. They are very airy cookies as the regular recipe is about 50/50 wheat flour and corn starch. As I cant eat gluten, I decided to give it a try with just Starch and it works great. They were a bit "thick" but practice makes the master... I hope you guys like it!

Ingredients:
350 gr Corn starch (Maizena)
100g Margarine
100 g Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 can sweet condensed milk
​Sugar powder

Dulce de Leche:
Fill a container of water until it completely covers the can of condensed milk. Normally I would take the label, but if case it doesn't come off, just leave it. Lay the can down and don't let it stand, that helps to cook the milk evenly.
Let the water boil and then lower to medium heat. Let it cook for 1.5 hours. Let it cool before opening the can and try not open it safely. Stir with a spoon before using it.

Dulce de Leche is ready!

Cookies:
Pre heat the oven to 180C. Sifted the cornstarch with baking powder and add the margarine and sugar and knead using a hand mixer. Beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. Incorporate this mix slowly integrating and kneading . 

The dough should be very soft , stretch it with a rolling pin and always using cornstarch on the table to prevent sticking. Cut the caps with a 3 cm diameter cutter and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake for 8 minutes, they should be cooked but not change color. 

Let them cool, filled them with dulce de leche and sprinkle with sugar powder.

Recipe in my very bad german at the end of this post: Rezept - Peruanische Alfajores