I've been meaning to post about these cookies or biscuits for a while now. In fact, it may be because of them that I started blogging. I wanted to start a conversation on little known foods outside of Latin America that are close to the heart to some of us living elsewhere around the world now. These cookies are dear to me not only because they are 'muy ricos' but because every bite reminds me of a childhood in Lima where I would get to roam around on a bicycle or a skateboard in order to help mum with her daily errands. Yes, offering to get the eggs or flour would mean I would get buy an alfajor and polish it off before I even made it home. Mum always knew I had "borrowed" her change to buy the alfajor, icing sugar around the mouth made it pretty obvious. She would just shake her head and sometimes even ask if I had bothered buying her one as well. It didn't really matter whether I did or not because they would all end up in my mouth somehow. I couldn't help it, I don't think I ever managed to bring one home intact. I am sure there is a Proustian element to their appeal, but I assure you, they are exquisite. They are simplicity itself and sometimes that is all you need. I hope you like them, let me know.

This recipe has evolved over the years and it has taking me a long time to come up with a version that does my memories justice. I am not claiming these to be the best in the whole wide world-universe-infinity-and-beyond type of alfajor. No, these are the best ones for me. No baking powder, here as I find its addition made them too airy, too dry ... and nothing artificial, just sweet goodness.

Alfajores: Peruvian Dulce de Leche Cookies

Recipe makes 14 cookies

• Sugar: 250 grams
• Pouring cream: 300 ml
• Milk: 300 ml
  
• Salt: 1/2 teaspoon

1. Caramelise the sugar with a couple of tablespoons of water in a small saucepan in low heat. Shake the saucepan to ensure sugar is evenly coated with water.
2. Let this simmer gently until it becomes light golden.
   
3. Remove from heat immediately and very, very carefully and slowly, pour the milk and cream while stirring. Do this a drop at a time first, the sugar's fury will eventually calm down and you will then be able to pour the rest. I am sure I don't need to tell you the horrendous and painful consequences of sugar burn. Please be careful.
   
4. Place saucepan back on the stove and simmer in low heat. Stir, stir, stir and keep stirring. Don't let this work go to waste by neglecting to stir. Burnt milk doesn't taste good. It takes me about an hour to reduce this mixture to become dulce de leche. You'll know you are done when it becomes thick, fragrant and golden amber in appearance. Set aside to cool.

For the cookies:

• Cake flour: 1 1/4 cups
• Corn flour: 1 1/4 cup
• Icing sugar: 50 grams
• Salt: 1/2 teaspoon, levelled
• Butter, unsalted, cubed and at room temperature: 250 grams
• Egg yolk: 1

1. Preheat oven to 160 C.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the cake and corn flours, sugar and salt.
3. Add butter and squeeze between fingertips in order to incorporate until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
4. Add egg yolk and gently work it in. Don't be tempted to knead the dough, be as gentle as possible at this stage.
5. Sprinkle flour on a workbench and roll dough out until it's 0.5 cm thick all over.
6. Line a couple of cookie trays with baking paper or a silicone mat.
7. Using a 6.5 cm (or thereabouts) cookie cutter cut out rounds of dough and place to on lined trays.
8. You can re-use the scraps by forming them into a ball and gently rolling it out. You can then cut out a few more rounds.
9. Bake for about 25 minutes or until they become lightly golden. I mean this, lightly golden. They lose their delicate flavour when they bake for too long. You should start checking for doneness in 20 minutes as every oven is different.
   
10. Cool on racks before attempting to fill them. They are very crumbly and will self-destruct if you don't let them cool down first!
11. Once they are cool you sandwich the dulce de leche with the cookies.