Description
Italian Peach Cookies, or Pesche Dolci, are delightful sandwich cookies featuring a soft, buttery dough filled with a luscious mixture of pastry cream and peach jam. These charming treats are shaped and tinted to resemble fresh peaches, then dipped in a sweet liqueur and rolled in sugar for a sparkling finish. Perfect for holidays or special occasions, these cookies combine tender texture, fruity filling, and a hint of fragrant Alchermes liqueur, showcasing a classic Italian dessert tradition.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk, as needed
Filling & Coating
- 1 cup pastry cream or vanilla pudding, thick consistency
- 1/2 cup peach jam or apricot jam
- 1/3 cup Alchermes liqueur or peach syrup diluted with water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Optional
- Red and yellow food coloring
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening and seasoning are evenly distributed.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step incorporates air, giving the cookies a tender texture.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly until fully combined.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing gently. Add small amounts of whole milk as needed to form a soft, pliable dough suitable for rolling into balls.
- Shape cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them spaced apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the bottoms turn lightly golden while the tops remain pale. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.
- Cool and hollow out: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Using a small knife or spoon, carefully hollow out a small portion from the flat side of each cookie to create a cavity for the filling.
- Prepare filling: Mix the cookie crumbs from the hollowed parts with peach jam and thick pastry cream until a thick, moldable filling forms.
- Assemble cookies: Sandwich two cookies together using the prepared filling, shaping them gently to resemble a peach.
- Dip and coat: Quickly dip each cookie sandwich into Alchermes liqueur or peach syrup diluted with water, then roll in granulated sugar to coat and add sparkle.
- Add finishing touches: Lightly tint the cookies with red and yellow food coloring if desired to enhance the peach-like appearance. Garnish with fresh mint leaves before serving.
Notes
- If Alchermes liqueur is unavailable, substitute with peach nectar or simple syrup combined with a splash of grenadine for a similar color and flavor.
- These cookies are best enjoyed after resting for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the filling to set properly.
- Ensure cookies are fully cooled before hollowing and filling to maintain structure.
- Use thick pastry cream or pudding to prevent the filling from being too runny and difficult to handle.
