How did everyone like these cookies? Leave your links in the comments below!

Posting date is May 12 – any opinions about using prepared dulce de leche vs. making your own?

Alfajores
Yield: 24 to 28 sandwich cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornstarch
6 ounces (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
3 large egg yolks, plus 1 large egg
2 tablespoons good-quality light rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 2 1⁄2 cups Dulce de Leche (page 58) or prepared dulce de leche
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift the cornstarch over the flour mixture and whisk again to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the zest, and beat for 15 seconds. Add the egg yolks and egg, one at a time, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl again, add the rum and vanilla, and beat for 10 seconds.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mix- ture and beat until just incorporated. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a disk; wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 1⁄2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 equal portions. Place the first portion on a work surface lightly dusted with flour (or, for extra ease, roll it out on a flour-dusted piece of parchment) and return the other portion to the refrigerator.
Form the dough into a small disk and roll it to 1⁄8 inch thick (or just a bit thicker). Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to create your tops and bottoms, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Continue the process with the second piece of dough. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated for about 10 minutes to firm them up so they can be rerolled, if desired.

Refrigerate the cookie-filled sheet pans for 5 minutes before baking. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies will be done when they just begin to color (they won’t “brown” necessarily). Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely before filling them.

Using a pastry bag with a medium tip, or a small spoon, apply about 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche to the flat side of a cookie (and don’t feel shy about adding slightly more filling if you are in the mood—we often do). Place another cookie, flat side down, on top. Press slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until
all the sandwich cookies are made. Sift some confectioners’ sugar over each cookie, if desired, and let them set up for about 15 minutes before serving.

The cookies can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Let it be known that some people think these cookies taste their best on day 2.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.