Italian Peach Cookies are tender, buttery and SO cute! Each one is filled with a sweet surprise!
These cookies, known as “Pesche Dolci” in Italian. This means sweet peaches, thanks to their adorable peach-like look. Not only are theypretty to look at, they are just delightful to eat. Learn how to make this traditional Italian treat with my easy step-by-step recipe!
Popular Italian desserts appear on menus around the world, but you may never seen this one! Italian Peach Cookies are two soft cookies sandwiched together with pastry cream, chocolate or even jam, then dipped in liqueur and rolled in sugar to resemble a fuzzy ripe peach.
These are also a perfect dessert to complete that special Italian dinner!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Step-by-step instructions: There cookies are very simple to make! Follow the step-by-step instructions and my tips for success.
Make ahead: Prepare the pastry cream and unfilled cookies in advance and assemble the day before serving. This recipe is ideal for parties and celebrations.
Adaptable: Change the filling for these cookies to create different flavors to suit your tastes. I
These beautiful, old-fashioned pastries are often called Pesche all’Alchermes, due to the Alchermes liquer they are traditionally dipped in. However, Alchermes can be very challenging to find in the US. Because of that, I used Aperol in place.
The most traditional Italian recipe doesn’t yield a recipe that tastes like peach, but they sure look like one. I love the idea of using a peach or apricot jam, so that they taste like the fruit they resemble!
Depending on what region you find them in, this pastry may vary. Most often it is referred to as a Sicilian treat. It’s a kind of pastry that’s not as common in Northeastern Italy but can also be found in Tuscany and central Italy.
In Prato, Italy they are called Pesche di Prato, meaning peaches from Prato are sweet treats consisting of two small, round, brioche-dough cakes soaked in Alchermes liqueur, paired in two with vanilla custard, and finished with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
Whatever variation you choose, you are sure to have a delicious treat!
Italian Peach Cookies
Italian Peach Cookies are a classic Italian cookie commonly served for special occasions like weddings. These cookies are known for their adorable peach shape and can be made with a variety of flavors. Here, I use a jam filing but made suggestions for different variations.
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Equipment
- 2 eggs
- ½ c sugar
- 5 tbsp butter melted
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon 2 TBSP
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Filling:
- 1 cup peach or apricot jam
Ricotta Option:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese (drained well)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Assembly:
- 1/3 cup Aperol Campari or Alchermes
- 1/3 cup sugar for rolling
- Basil or mint leaves, optional
- 4 eggs
- 1 c sugar
- 10 tbsp butter melted
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon 2 TBSP
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 4 c all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Filling:
- 2 cup peach or apricot jam
- Assembly:
- 0.67 cup Aperol Campari or Alchermes
- 0.67 cup sugar for rolling
- Basil or mint leaves optional
- 6 eggs
- 1.5 c sugar
- 15 tbsp butter melted
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon 2 TBSP
- 3 tsp almond extract
- 6 c all purpose flour
- 4.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp salt
Filling:
- 3 cup peach or apricot jam
- Assembly:
- 1 cup Aperol Campari or Alchermes
- 1 cup sugar for rolling
- Basil or mint leaves optional
Intstructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees, line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicon baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, or using handheld mixer, combine eggs and sugar. Whisk until pale and thick, about 8 minutes. A ribbon should form when you left whisk. With mixer still running, slowly stream in melted butter, followed by lemon zest, juice and almond extract.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Turn off mixer and add flour mixture, using a rubber spatula to combine, careful not to overmix.
- Using a small cookie scoop, make walnut sized balls and roll in your hands to form a circle. Place on baking sheet and press down slightly.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes, just until the bottom of the cookies get light brown.
- While still warm, hollow out a hole in the cookies using a small melon baller or knife. Add jam to each half, then sandwich together.
- Pour Aperol into a small bowl and dip each cookie sandwich in, coating completely. Place on a wire rack. Once all cookies have been dipped, roll into sugar. Decorate with small mint or basil leaves, optional.
- Keep at room temperature in air tight container for up to 3 days.
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Meet Jessica!
I believe that a meal is always about so much more than a plate of food. It is about honoring food producers, perfecting technique, finding harmony between ingredients. Most importantly, it is about sharing it with those you love.
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Italian Peach Cookies
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