Description
Italian Peach Cookies, or Pesche Dolci, are tender almond- and lemon-scented sandwich cookies filled with creamy custard and decorated to resemble sparkling ripe peaches. They make an elegant Italian dessert for holidays, weddings, birthdays, and special occasions.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 cup vanilla custard or pastry cream
½ cup mascarpone and ½ cup peach jam, optional alternative filling
½ cup peach juice or diluted peach syrup
A few drops red or pink food coloring
Granulated sugar, for coating
Fresh mint leaves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Roll the dough into small, evenly sized balls and arrange them on the prepared baking tray with space between each cookie.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops remain pale and soft. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
- While the cookies are still slightly warm, carefully scoop a small amount from the flat bottom of each cookie to create a hollow for the filling.
- Once cooled, fill each hollow with vanilla custard or pastry cream. Alternatively, combine the mascarpone and peach jam and use this mixture as the filling. Press two filled cookie halves together to form each peach.
- Combine the peach juice with a few drops of red or pink food coloring. Briefly dip each assembled cookie into the tinted liquid without allowing it to become saturated, then immediately roll it in granulated sugar until coated.
- For a realistic finish, tuck a small fresh mint leaf between the cookie halves. Allow the finished cookies to rest briefly before serving.
Notes
For a fruitier filling, combine ½ cup mascarpone with ½ cup peach jam instead of using vanilla custard or pastry cream.
Chocolate pastry cream or chocolate-hazelnut spread can be used for a chocolate variation.
Add a little orange zest with the lemon zest for a stronger citrus flavor.
For more realistic coloring, divide the dipping liquid between two bowls and tint one pink or red and the other yellow or orange.
For an adult variation, add a small amount of Alchermes or another suitable liqueur to the dipping liquid.
Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove them 10–15 minutes before serving.
Unfilled cookie shells can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature, then filled and decorated closer to serving.
Hollow the cookies while slightly warm and remove only enough crumb to accommodate the filling to prevent cracking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
