A delicate, crumbly texture that melts at first touch, letting rich manjar blanco take the lead. A nostalgic Peruvian tea-time classic where shortening creates a tender, dry, perfectly delicate cookie. Simple, elegant, and deeply traditional.
Sift the wheat flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt into a bowl. This prevents lumps and keeps the dough fine from the start.
Add the vegetable shortening in pieces and work it in with your fingertips or a spatula until it forms a damp sandy mixture. Add the egg yolks and vanilla; bring it together only until the dough holds.
Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it with plastic film
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Roll the dough to about 4 mm thick and cut 24 rounds. Transfer them to a tray lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them; if the dough softens, chill for 5 minutes before baking.
Bake at 165°C for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are dry and barely golden underneath. Cool completely on a rack before handling firmly; when hot, they are fragile like a chef's ego.
Fill half of the cookies with manjar blanco, cover with the remaining cookies, and press gently. Dust with powdered sugar and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling settles.
