Alfajores meringue

1.Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides, then add honey, egg, vanilla seeds and ½ tsp salt and beat to combine. Add flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine. Turn out onto a work surface and gently bring dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap, pat into a disc and refrigerate until chilled and firm (1 hour).

2.Preheat oven to 180C and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm, cut out 7cm-diameter rounds, transfer to prepared trays and dock with a fork. Bake, swapping trays halfway, until golden and cooked through (7-8 minutes). Cool briefly on trays, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.Spread half the biscuits with dulce de leche, sandwich with remaining biscuits and set aside.

4.For meringue icing, stir sugar and 80ml water in a small saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer without stirring, brushing crystals from sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until slightly reduced and syrupy (2-3 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then increase speed and add syrup in a thin steady stream until incorporated. Continue whisking until meringue is cool and thick (8-10 minutes). Spread the sides and tops of the biscuits with a thin coating of meringue, wiping off any excess. Set aside on a wire rack until icing sets (12 hours or overnight) before serving. Alfajores will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.