Pepas §

Pepas are traditional Argentinian cookies. With a buttery short-bread-type base and a sweet filling of your choice, these bite-sized cookies are super easy to make and perfect for tea time. I use Osvaldo Gross’s recipe with a couple of tweaks.

Ingredients §

• 125 grams of butter
• 125 grams of sugar
• Zest of half a lemon
• Splash of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• Pinch of salt
• 270 grams of all-purpose flour
• 10 grams of baking powder
• Approximately 200 grams of quince paste, guava pasta, dulce de leche, or any desired topping.

Instructions §

• Cream the butter with the sugar in a mixer or by hand. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
• Add the egg and yolk and, once incorporated, add the flour, salt, and baking powder, forming a smooth dough.
• Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into 2-3 cylinders. Wrap them in plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice the dough cylinders into approximately 1 centimeter (a little less than half an inch) thick cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them as they will expand during baking.
• Make a little hole with your finger in the center of each cookie. Fill the little hole with whatever topping you choose.
• Bake them for 12-15 minutes, depending on your preference.