LEMON ITALIAN PEACH COOKIES

Italian Peach Cookies are soft, tasty, and filled with delicious, vanilla pastry cream, and this lemon version takes it up a notch! Pretty to look at and delightful to eat.

Course: Dessert
Servings: 24
Prep time: 30 mins
Cuisine: American, French

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COOKIES

3 eggs

1 cup (200 grams) castor sugar

½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups (500 grams) all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt

⅓ cup (80ml) milk

¾ cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 bowl water, yellow food colouring

FOR THE FRENCH PASTRY CREAM

• 2 cups whole milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1 pinch salt

• 4 large egg yolks

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

Lemon Curd- optional but recommended

TO MAKE

Make The Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 3 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2. With an electric mix or hand held whisk, beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick, approx 10 minutes.

3. Whisk in cooled, melted butter, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Continue to whisk until thick and creamy mixture.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and gently stir into the egg mixture. Followed by milk.

5. Take a small amount of dough and roll into a ball. The size should be a little smaller than a walnut (approx ¾oz/20g). Then flatten slightly and pinch two ends slightly, to make the shape of a lemon. Make 42 little dough balls/lemon shapes and place them onto the lined baking tray allowing a little room for spreading.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will be pale and are meant to be soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down a little bit.

Make Pastry Cream

1. In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups milk, vanilla bean and scraped seeds just to a boil, stirring to prevent film from forming.

2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup corn starch and pinch of salt. Add 4 egg yolks and whisk until smooth, creamy and lightened in color - it takes a couple of minutes but it will get there.

3. Gradually (so the eggs don't curdle), while whisking constantly, add hot milk in a steady stream until all of it is incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking constantly then whisk another 30 seconds until mixture is thick and pudding-like in consistency.

4. Transfer pastry cream to a medium bowl (whisk in 2 tsp vanilla extract if using). Cut butter into pieces and quickly whisk into the custard until fully incorporated Cover with plastic directly over the surface of the cream, let it cool slightly then refrigerate 30 minutes or until cool.

To Assemble

1. While still warm use a small knife or teaspoon to make a small hole in the bottom of the cookie.

2. Fill each indent with pastry cream then join the two halves together. (If you choose to also use lemon curd, simply fill 1/3 of the indent with the curd then pipe pastry cream on top.

3. Fill a small bowl with water, with some yellow food colouring.

4. Dip each assembled peach cookie into the water-food colouring mixture, turning around so that the liquid coats all sides. Don't over soak.

5. Drain the cookies on a wire rack for a few minutes, then roll in granulated sugar.

6. Place the lemon cookies in cupcake cases and put them in the fridge for at least 12 hours before serving. They will soften beautifully.