Alfajores

Directions

1. 1
   Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven.
2. 2
   Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
3. 3
   With a large spoon in a medium mixing bowl or with a mixer, mix the butter with the sugar until smooth and well blended but not fluffy. Add the egg and brandy and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
4. 4
   Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls. (Or, on a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a square and cut into 8 strips and then cut each strip into 8 pieces to make a total of 64 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 1-inch ball.) For miniature cookies, shape level teaspoons of dough into 96 smaller balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the lined or ungreased pans and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes for larger cookies or 12 to 15 minutes for miniature cookies, until the edges are lightly browned. Rotate pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time. For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks.
5. 5
   Cool the cookies completely before filling or storing.
6. 6
   Sandwich the cookies with a generous dab of dulce de leche, sprinkling the dulce de leche with fleur de sel, if desired. The cookies will soften as they stand. They are good crunchy or soft. May be stored in an airtight container for at least 1 week.