These Italian Peach Cookies are two vanilla cookies stuffed with both vanilla custard and chocolate custard, sandwiched together, dipped in pink Italian booze and rolled in sugar to resemble a real peach! Soft, flavorful, with a fun crunch from the sugar – these cookies are just like the ones my Italian grandma made & are sure to be a success!
What do these Italian Peach Cookies taste like?
Like a peachy dream. No, but really. Imagine two vanilla cookies: one is carved and stuffed with vanilla custard and the other one with rich chocolate custard. These two babies are sandwiched together to form the shape of a peach.
The “peach” is then dipped in Alchermes (that fancy spiced pink Italian booze) and rolled in sugar for a fun crunch and some extra sweetness.
What does Alchermes taste like?
Alchermes is very sweet and spiced. It’s made with cinnamon, jasmine, orange peel, sugar, vanilla, anise flowers, cloves, coriander, mace, and nutmeg and it’s also flavored with rose water.
You will simply dip the cookies in it for a few seconds: they will immediately take on a pink tint and a subtle Alchermes flavor so don’t worry, it’s not too overpowering and no, it won’t get you drunk, no matter how many cookies you eat.
You can buy high-quality Italian Alchermes here! I’ll show you how to use any leftovers in a few more Italian desserts, promise! 🙂
Is Alchermes necessary?
If you’re looking for the authentic version, yes it is. Italians dip these in Alchermes and they don’t wanna hear about no dang substitution lol.
Note that kids can safely enjoy these. I grew up eating these cookies (triple dipped in Alchermes in my case) along with many other kids and it was perfectly fine.
However, if you live an alcohol-free lifestyle, you can dip these in other liquids. The reason why you need to dip them in something is because the cookies need to absorb some sort of liquid in order to soften up and turn into a soft, juicy cookie.
You can substitute the Alchermes with a homemade alcohol-free syrup made with sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla, anise, orange peel, and pink food coloring. I’ll provide the recipe for this variation in the recipe card down below.
💡 DID YOU KNOW? …that Russians make Peach Cookies that look just like these, only with a different filling and dip liquid?! I have no idea who came up with these cookies first but I’ll show you how to make the Russian version next so that you guys can tell me which ones you like best!
Ingredients for Italian Peach Cookies
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour, we’re making regular vanilla cookies!
- Sugar. You’ll need the sugar for the cookie dough, the custard, and for rolling the finished peach cookies so make sure you have plenty.
- Baking powder. To help the cookies raise into a beautiful dome-like shape.
- Egg. You’ll need the eggs for the cookie dough and custard so make sure you have enough and remember to take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before starting this recipe so they’re at room temperature.
- Milk. Again, you’ll need it for the cookies and custard and it has to be at room temperature.
- Butter. Room temperature!
- Vanilla extract. Use your favorite.
- Salt. Just a pinch!
- Cornstarch. You’ll need this to thicken the custards, you can also use flour but I like cornstarch.
- Cocoa powder. For the chocolate custard.
- Powdered sugar. You’ll need this to sweeten the chocolate custard *after* it’s cooked (trust me on this, more details later) so you want something that will dissolve quickly.
- Alchermes. For dipping the cookies. You can get it here! This is what Italians use so you know you’ll get to enjoy some authentic peach cookies. Alchermes is what gives these cookies that beautiful pink tint (no need to use food coloring here) and also what makes the soft and juicy and extra flavorful! I’ll provide an alcohol-free substitution in the recipe card down below but I highly recommend sticking to Alchermes if you’re okay with alcohol consumption.
How to make Italian Peach Cookies
I’ll start off by saying that these cookies take a bit of time and work. They’re easy to make but there’s many steps involved which is why I recommend making the cookies on day 1 and then carving, filling, and assembling on day 2 so you won’t be overwhelmed!
- Make the cookies. Simply 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 perfectly soft and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press each cookie onto the baking sheet so it sits without rolling.
- Bake until the cookies are 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.
- Carve the cookies. I recommend doing this on day 2. Make sure the cookies are room temperature before carving, then use a spoon or knife to carve each cookie. Be gentle as you don’t want to break any cookie.
- Make the vanilla custard. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks until combined and pale in color. Transfer the egg mixture into the milk mixture and immediately turn on the heat. Cook, stirring continuously until the custard has thickened then fold in the vanilla extract. Transfer half of the custard to a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin.
- Make the chocolate custard. Add the milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the remaining custard, turn on the heat and cook until fully combined and thickened again. This is your chocolate custard. Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin.
- Fill the cookies. Fill 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 so you want to make sure the edges have a thin layer of filling slathered on top. Combine a vanilla custard cookie with a chocolate custard cookie, sandwich them together and set them aside.
- Dip in Alchermes. Dip each assembled cookie in Alchermes for just a few seconds. Be gentle when doing this but work quickly: the cookies aren’t supposed to soak up too much liquor or they will fall apart later on.
- Roll in sugar. Immediately roll each peach cookie in sugar. 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! Do not leave this cookies at room temperature as they contain custard (eggs + milk).
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 on the course of 2-3 days.
I recommend making the cookies on day 1 and letting them cool down overnight.
Then carving, filling, dipping, and rolling in sugar on day 2.
And finally, serving them on day 3. Make sure to top them with a mint leaf right before serving so the leaf won’t turn wilt. You can also serve them on day 2 but let the cookies chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours or they won’t be soft and flavorful.
Can I freeze Italian peach cookies?
Yes, but only the whole cookies or carved cookies. 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.
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you’ll love this Peach Cookie Italian 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 sweet recipes you’ll love:
Peach Cookies Italian Recipe
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. Simply mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, milk, butter, vanilla, extract, and salt until combined. The cookie dough will be very thick. Divide the cookie dough into 18 equal balls. Each ball should weigh 1.1 oz or 30 g. Roll each ball until perfectly soft and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press each cookie onto the baking sheet so it sits without rolling.
- Bake until the cookies are golden all over with golden brown bottoms. The cookies shouldn't crack but if they do, you can still use them. Allow the cookies to cool down completely before moving onto the next step.
- Carve the cookies. I recommend doing this on day 2. Make sure the cookies are 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 vanilla custard. Add the milk to a medium pot over medium-low heat. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling or simmering. Meanwhile, vigorously whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks until combined and pale in color. Transfer the egg mixture into the milk mixture and cook, stirring continuously until the custard has thickened and is bubbling. Turn off the heat and fold in the vanilla extract. Transfer half of the custard to a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin.
- Make the chocolate custard. Add the milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the remaining custard, turn on the heat and cook until fully combined and thickened again. This is your chocolate custard. Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the custard to keep it from forming a skin.
- Fill the cookies. Fill half of the cookies with your prepared vanilla custard and the other half with your prepared chocolate custard. Be generous with the filling because that's the "glue" that keeps the cookies together so you want to make sure the edges have a thin layer of filling slathered over the top. Combine a vanilla custard cookie with a chocolate custard cookie, sandwich them together and set them aside.
- Dip in Alchermes. Dip each assembled peach cookie in Alchermes for just a few seconds. Be gentle when doing this but work quickly: the cookies aren't supposed to soak up too much liquor or they will fall apart later on.
- Roll in sugar. Immediately roll each peach cookie in sugar 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. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
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