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The story behind the Peaches Cookies.
I grew up in a family from the South of Italy, with Zia Lavinia calling Italy the “mainland” like Hawaiians call Usa (unless it’s 2500 miles far away). She had slightly rigid traditional menus for holiday, and not one recipe was written down (this thing has to stop!). We knew what we would have eaten every December 13th, 8th, March 19th, November 2nd, and so on.
In this Realm of Planned Meals, my sister Carmen mutinied and a day, d’emblee, she cooked the most perfect risotto with strawberries and Champagne. Since that moment she became to me the Ferran Adrià of casa Docimo. She opened our tastebuds to new flavors and culinary experiences. It was really appreciated by the whole family, but I don’t have memories of a second time.
Nevertheless, she persisted. She made Sacher, the Austrian chocolate cake that we ate for the first time when she brought it back from a trip to Austria. She found the recipe (don’t know where), and she made it IDENTICAL to the original one. OF course, just once. Fun fact: It was so good that a few years later I started making it and selling to pubs ?.
There is more. My riot sister started handwriting a book with recipes that weren’t our family recipes (who need them when we are going to have mamma and zia cooking those forever!!!).
One of the recipes of the book of someone else recipes is The Peaches Cookies. In Italy, we call them Pesche Dolci. It is a very old traditional cookie/ pastry. That cutie pie of my sister also wrote a note on how she got the recipe, when, from who. I mean, she wrote the perfect book of recipes…of someone else.
The Peaches cookies are widely made in every Italian region with some differences. They look like peaches, and they are made of two round shaped cookies filled with pastry cream (and/or chocolate pastry cream) and decorated with a leaf. The old recipe used walnuts shells to shape the dough and then baked with it. I didn’t have walnuts, so I made a hole in the flat part while cookies were still warm.
The Italian recipe also calls for alchermes, an aromatic liquor commonly used in Italy for sweets, that has a pink color. It’s pretty hard to find in Usa (and expensive), so I subbed it with a mixture made of sugar, water, rum, and food color.
I really recommend to make the Peaches cookies in advance so they will soak up all the syrup and the custard flavor, and they will be WOW.
DISCLAIMER: Looks long but it’s not!!! Don’t be intimidated. It’s easy. I promise.
Ingredients:
The original recipe is this one below, but please note that I made half dose and got 70 halves approx 1 inch big each. For a total of 35 Sweet Peaches.
For the cookies:
- 8 eggs beaten
- 100 gr (3.05 oz) (7 tbsp) butter melted
- 100 gr (3.05 oz) (7 tbsp and half ) vegetable oil – I use sunflower oil
- 1 kg (7 cups) (35 oz) all-purpose flour
- 400 gr (14 oz) (4 cups) of sugar plus more to roll the cookies after soaking
- 2 tbsp and half baking powder
Syrup for soaking the peaches (if you find alchermes it’s great! But you won’t need food colors as it is really pinkish)
- 250 ml (1 cup) Water
- 200 gr (1 cup) Sugar
- 4 tbsp Rum
- food Color – red or pink or orange
- I used Wilton Colors) but every food color is different, start with three drops, make a test with one peach, and add more if needed. Here I used a lot and came out pale. But I loved them anyway.
Pastry Chocolate Cream – Crema Pasticcera al Cioccolato
- 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
- 75 gr of egg yolks = approx 4 large egg yolks
- 150 gr (3/4 cups) sugar
- 1 tsp (if you like it, I don’t) vanilla
- 45 gr (6 tablespoons) corn starch
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100 gr (3.50 oz) (1/2 cup rounded if using chocolate chips) dark chocolate 70%
To decorate the peaches: sugar leaves or mint leaves or tangerine leaves, or…nothing like mines.
Directions:
Pastry Cream:
Start preparing the pastry cream so it will chill. Chop the dark chocolate in chunks and set aside. Place the milk into a pan with the vanilla, if using it, and bring to a boil over a gentle heat. In a bowl mix the egg yolks with the sugar and whisk well, then add cornstarch and the salt. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour a couple of tbsps of milk over the egg mixture, whisking, until all the liquid is incorporated. Return to the saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the cream thickens, whisking all the time, to prevent scorching. Turn off the heat, add the chopped dark chocolate, stirring gently until is melted.
Cover with a cling film on contact so it will not form a crust on top. Once cooled move in the fridge until you need it.
It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. You can make it ahead. I don’t recommend freezing.
The syrup:
In a saucepan, combine sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in the rum (or alchermes). Let cool to room temperature. If using alchermes it’s ready, if not add the food color.
For the cookies:
Preheat the oven at 350 F° (180 °C)
You can use the mixer or hands (I always use hands because it relaxes me).
In a large bowl mix the beaten eggs, the melted butter, the oil, and whisk well. Add slowly the flour mixed with sugar and baking powder and work until it comes together and it’s smooth. If still sticky, add a tablespoon of flour until manageable.
This dough doesn’t need to rest so you can proceed directly to shape the cookies. Cut the dough in pieces (approx. 1 inch) and shape into balls. Flatten the balls slightly and place them on the prepared baking sheets (I use a reusable silicone mat, but parchment paper or a buttered pan works well).
Bake for 13-15 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When the cookies are cool enough to manage, remove the center with a teaspoon or a knife, and make a hole. (Don’t throw away the crumb, you can eat it with the pastry cream leftover or as crumble for another dessert).
Assembling the peaches:
You’re almost there, stay with me, don’t quit!
Pair similar size halves and using a spoon (or a pastry bag), fill the cookies with the pastry cream and press together to form the sweet peaches. Dip well in the syrup and roll in the sugar to cover completely.
Place on cupcake liner if you like it.
The day after, they are much better.
The Peaches are perfect to gift or for a Dessert buffet. I imagine this beautiful table full of Gelo di Mellone, Tiramisù, Bignè, Espresso+ Banana Cake, Yuzu Cake, Mini Pavlovas, baked Cheescakes, Cannoli. Don’t forget Sesame Cookies and Tarallucci!
How amazing would it be!?!?!
With love,
Dani
