Shortbread alfajores

For the dulce de leche, bring a large pot of water to the boil over high heat. Carefully place the sealed tin of condensed milk in the boiling water – it should be fully submerged. Leave to boil, uncovered, until the condensed milk has caramelised, about 3 hours. Remove from pot and set aside to cool completely before opening. Once cooled, add a pinch of sea salt and mix well. Store in an airtight container until needed.

For the alfajores, line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside until needed.

Place the butter and castor sugar in the bowl of a hand-held/stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light and fluffy. Add the lime zest, bourbon and vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated well. Gently fold in the cornflour, cake flour, baking powder and salt until just combined. Be mindful not to overmix the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel/cling film and refrigerate to rest, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dollops of the dough and roll into bite-sized balls between the palms of your hands. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3cm of space between each ball. Using your thumb, gently press down on each ball to flatten it slightly.

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the biscuits are golden brown, 6 – 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until completely cooled. Once cool, transfer the biscuits to an airtight container and freeze until firm, 10 – 15 minutes.

To assemble the alfajores, sandwich the biscuits together with a dollop of the dulce de leche, then gently roll the edge of each alfajor in the toasted desiccated coconut. Store in an airtight container in a cool spot (not the fridge) for up to 3 weeks.