Italian Peach Cookies Dessert (Printable View)

Tender peach-shaped cookies filled with cream or chocolate nut, dipped in liqueur syrup, and coated in sugar.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup milk
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon almond extract

→ Classic Pastry Cream Filling (Option 1)

11 - 1 1/2 cups pastry cream or vanilla pudding
12 - 1/2 cup ricotta or mascarpone

→ Chocolate Nut Filling (Option 2)

13 - 1/2 cup mascarpone or ricotta
14 - 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
15 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
16 - 1/4 cup crushed toasted almonds or hazelnuts
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons cookie crumbs from hollowed-out cookies

→ Peach Dipping Syrup

18 - 1/2 cup peach liqueur or Alchermes
19 - 1/2 cup water
20 - Red food coloring, as needed
21 - Yellow food coloring, as needed

→ Finishing

22 - 1 cup granulated sugar, for coating
23 - Fresh mint leaves or edible leaves, optional

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
02 - In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Add eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly until smooth.
04 - Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and blend until a thick, soft dough forms resembling cakey cookie dough. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes to facilitate rolling.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1-tablespoon sized balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
06 - Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops remain pale and bottoms turn lightly golden. Transfer baked cookies to a rack and cool completely.
07 - Once cookies are fully cooled, use a small paring knife or melon baller to gently carve a shallow cavity in the base of each cookie. Reserve the extracted crumbs for the filling.
08 - Thoroughly blend pastry cream or vanilla pudding with ricotta or mascarpone until a silky texture is achieved.
09 - In a separate bowl, mix mascarpone or ricotta with cocoa powder, granulated sugar, crushed toasted nuts, and cookie crumbs, adjusting consistency with extra crumbs or mascarpone as needed.
10 - Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon filling into each cavity. Pair two filled cookies with their cavities facing, pressing gently to form a peach-like sphere. Repeat with remaining cookies.
11 - Combine peach liqueur or Alchermes with water in a shallow bowl. Tint the mixture with drops of yellow and a touch of red food coloring to create a natural peach hue. Stir well.
12 - Lightly dip each assembled cookie in the syrup, avoiding excessive soaking. Immediately roll cookies in granulated sugar and set on a rack to dry. Optionally, insert a fresh mint leaf at the seam to resemble a peach stem.

# Supplementary Details:

01 - For authentic color and flavor, seek out traditional Alchermes liqueur if available.
02 - Allow cookies to dry thoroughly after dipping to avoid sticky surfaces.

Back