Peruvian Alfajores with Manjar Blanco

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 sticks butter
• 5 cups cornstarch
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons pisco
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons water , or as needed
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar , or as needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

2. 2

   Beat white sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add cornstarch, flour, eggs, pisco, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Mix gently until combined.

3. 3

   Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand until smooth. Add water as needed. Divide in half, refrigerate 1 portion, and leave the other out.

4. 4

   Coat your work surface with powdered sugar. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or shot glass. Place rounds close together on a baking sheet. Prick each cookie twice with a fork.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; cookies should still be white and soft, not crispy, and will firm up as they cool. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

6. 6

   Pour condensed milk, evaporated milk, and brown sugar into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until filling approaches the consistency of thick caramel, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; mixture will firm up as it cools to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Pour confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the filling over cooled cookies. Attach every two cookies together to make the alfajores. Roll alfajores in confectioners' sugar.