Italian Peach Cookies (“Pesche”) are two vanilla cookies stuffed with vanilla custard and chocolate custard, sandwiched together, dipped in pink Italian booze and rolled in sugar to resemble a real peach! These are just like my Italian grandma made them!
Italian Peach Cookies
An Italian Peach Cookie recipe is obligatory here on Damn Spicy, given my heritage. My very-much-Italian grandma used to make these around Mardi Gras every single year, and they were also my dad’s favorite dessert.
I say dessert because calling these a “cookie” doesn’t really make them justice. Yes, each peach has 2 vanilla cookies but those 2 cookies are stuffed with vanilla custard and chocolate custard, sandwiched together, then dipped in Alchermes, and rolled in sugar.
They need to chill for a few hours before you can serve them, and when they’re ready, they’re so soft and stuffed with custard that they’re more of a dessert than a cookie, really. The only crunch you get is from the sugar crystals on the outside.
This is my “Peach Cookie Bible” and I hope you’ll enjoy it and share it with people you love, just like my family did with me.
What are Italian Peach Cookies?
They are 2 vanilla cookies sandwiched together. One is stuffed with vanilla custard and the other with chocolate custard. The two stuffed cookies are then sandwiched together, dipped in Alchermes (a sweet, spiced, pink Italian liquor) and rolled in sugar to resemble a real peach!
This is how my Italian grandmother made them but like many traditional recipes, each family has their own version. Some just stuff them with vanilla custard and leave out the chocolate, for example.
Also, you can find these cookies in many Eastern European/Slavic countries as well, usually with different fillings. Russians, for example, make stuff these with dulce de leche and dip them in colored water (usually yellow/orange and pink/red).
Ingredients for Italian Peach Cookies
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour for the cookies.
- Sugar. White granulated. You’ll need enough sugar for the cookie dough, custard, and for rolling the finished peach cookies.
- Baking powder. To help the cookies raise into a beautiful dome-like shape.
- Egg. You’ll need enough eggs for the cookie dough and custard. Remember to take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before starting this recipe so they’re at room temperature.
- Milk. For the cookies and custard. Room temperature.
- Butter. For the cookies. Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract. For the cookies and custard.
- Salt. Just a pinch, for flavor.
- Cornstarch. Thicken the custard.
- Cocoa powder. For the chocolate custard.
- Powdered sugar. Because we’re going to make just 1 custard recipe and then dividing it in half and adding cocoa powder to a part, you’ll need to sweeten the chocolate custard after it’s done. This means you’ll need something that will dissolve quickly which is why you need powdered sugar.
- Alchermes. For dipping the cookies, this is what makes them pink and gives them their authentic flavor. You can get it in any good Italian specialty shop (I found it here but Amazon also carries it sometimes). I will provide a “faux” Alchermes recipe that you can make at home to replicate the flavor and color minus the alcohol in the recipe card down below, as well as a couple of other boozy options. But Alchermes is a very sweet, spiced Italian liquor made with cinnamon, jasmine, orange peel, sugar, vanilla, anise, cloves, coriander, mace, nutmeg, and rose water. Given the complex flavor it adds to the cookies, it’s one of the key ingredients if you want the “real deal” and trust me when I tell you that a bottle of Alchermes is worth buying if you enjoy Italian baking!
How to make Italian Peach Cookies
STEP 1: Make the cookies. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, milk, butter, vanilla, extract, and salt until combined. The cookie dough will be very thick, it’s okay. Divide the cookie dough into 18 equal balls, then roll each ball until soft and smooth and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press each cookie onto the baking sheet so it sits without rolling away.
STEP 2: Bake the cookies until the golden all over with golden brown bottoms (lift one to check). Do not turn on the fan of your oven for this recipe as the air may crack the cookies. The cookies shouldn’t crack (this recipe has been tested and perfected for years) but if they do, you can still use them. Allow the cookies to cool down completely. I recommend baking the cookies 1 day ahead of time so they can chill overnight.
STEP 3: Carve the cookies. I recommend doing this on day 2. Make sure the cookies are at room temperature before carving, then use a spoon or knife to carve each cookie. Be gentle as you don’t want to break any cookies.
STEP 4: Make the base custard. You’ll make just 1 base custard and then divide the custard into vanilla and chocolate. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks until combined and pale in color. Temper the eggs by adding a few tbsp of hot milk into the egg mixture as you mix, then pour the egg mixture into the milk, and immediately turn on the heat. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously. until the custard has thickened and is bubbling, then turn off the heat.
STEP 5: Make the vanilla custard. Fold in the vanilla extract into the base custard and transfer half of the vanilla custard into a separate bowl. Cover the vanilla custard with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin. Allow to cool down.
STEP 6: Make the chocolate custard. Add the milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the custard you just transferred. Turn on the heat, return the custard to the stove, and cook until fully combined and thickened again, then turn off the heat. This is your chocolate custard. Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin. Allow to cool down.
STEP 7: Fill the cookies. Stuff half of the cookies with vanilla custard and the other half with chocolate custard. Be generous with the filling because that’s the “glue” that keeps them together once you sandwich them so you want to make sure the edges have a thin layer of filling slathered on top.
STEP 8: Assemble the Peaches. Combine a vanilla custard cookie with a chocolate custard cookie, sandwich them together and set them aside.
STEP 9: Dip in Alchermes. Dip each assembled Peach in Alchermes for just a few seconds. Be quick but gentle when doing this: the cookies aren’t supposed to soak up too much liquor or they will fall apart later on.
STEP 10: Roll in sugar. Immediately roll each soaked peach cookie in sugar, place it onto a serving plate, and set aside.
STEP 11: Chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight (recommended). The cookies need some time to set, soak up all the flavors and soften up. Top each cookie with a mint leaf right before serving! Enjoy!
Can I make Italian peach cookies ahead of time?
Yes and you totally should! These cookies take a bit of work and time to come together, plus they need time to soften up so I recommend doing these over the course of 2-3 days.
This is what I recommend you do:
DAY 1: Make and bake the cookies (step 1 and 2). Store the baked and cooled cookies in an air-tight container overnight. Make the custards (step 4, 5, and 6). Store the prepared custards in the refrigerator.
DAY 2: Carve the cookies, stuff them, assemble them, and chill them. Serve after 3-4 hours of chilling OR you can serve them on day 3. Make sure to top them with a mint leaf right before serving so the leaf won’t wilt.
Can I freeze Italian peach cookies?
Yes, but only the whole cookies or carved cookies (step 2). They will keep for up to 2-3 months when stored in an air-tight container or ziplock bag in the freezer.
You cannot freeze filled/finished peach cookies, they don’t freeze well at all because they’re stuffed with custards.
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you’ll love this Italian Peach Cookies recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More Italian recipes you’ll love:
Italian Peach Cookies
Ingredients
For The Cookie Dough
- 2 cups and 1 tbsp (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For The Vanilla Custard
- 1 and 1/3 cup (330 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 3 egg yolks (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp (20 g) cornstarch
For The Chocolate Custard
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp (24 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
For Decorating
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Alchermes liquor* (*see notes for substitutions)
- 2/3 cup (130 g) white granulated sugar
- Mint leaves for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320F (150C) making sure the fan is turned off. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the cookies. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. The cookie dough will be thick. Divide the cookie dough into 18 equal balls. Each ball should weigh about 1.1 oz (30 g) but you can also eyeball this. Roll each ball until perfectly smooth and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press each cookie onto the baking sheet so it sits without rolling away.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden all over with golden brown bottoms (lift one to check). The cookies shouldn't crack but if they crack lightly, you can still use them. Allow the cookies to cool down completely before moving onto the next step.
- Carve the cookies. Make sure the cookies are at room temperature before carving, then use a spoon or knife to carve each cookie to make room for the filling. Be gentle as you don't want to break the cookies.
- Make the base custard. You'll make just 1 base custard and then divide the custard into vanilla and chocolate custard. Pour the milk into a large saucepan over low heat and heat until hot but not boiling. Once the milk is hot, turn off the heat. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks until combined and pale in color. Temper the eggs by adding a few tbsp of the hot milk into the egg mixture as you mix. Repeat this a few times. You want the eggs to slowly come to the temperature of the milk so they won't scramble when you add them into the milk. Finally, pour the egg mixture into the milk, and immediately turn on the heat. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard is bubbling and has thickened, then turn off the heat.
- Make the vanilla custard. Fold in the vanilla extract into the base custard and transfer half of the vanilla custard into a separate bowl. Cover the vanilla custard with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin. Allow to cool down.
- Make the chocolate custard. Add the milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the custard you just transferred. Turn on the heat, return the custard to the stove, and cook until fully combined and thickened again, then turn off the heat. This is your chocolate custard. Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin. Allow to cool down.
- Fill the cookies. Stuff half of the cookies with vanilla custard and the other half with chocolate custard. Be generous with the filling because that's the "glue" that keeps them together once you sandwich them so you want to make sure the edges have a thin layer of filling slathered on top.
- Assemble the Peaches. Combine a vanilla custard cookie with a chocolate custard cookie, sandwich them together and set them aside.
- Dip in Alchermes. Dip each assembled Peach in Alchermes for just a few seconds. Be quick but gentle when doing this: the cookies aren't supposed to soak up too much liquor or they will fall apart later on.
- Roll in sugar. Immediately roll each soaked peach cookie in sugar, place it onto a serving plate, and set aside.
- Chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight (recommended). The cookies need some time to set, soak up all the flavors and soften up. Top each cookie with a mint leaf right before serving! Enjoy!
Notes
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