TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PEACH COOKIES

Italian Peach Cookies are soft, tasty, and filled with delicious, vanilla pastry cream! These delightful confections, known as "Pesche Dolci," which translates to sweet peaches, are not only visually appealing but also offer a mouthwatering experience that is hard to resist.

The cookies are crafted to resemble the shape and color of real peaches, featuring a soft, cake-like exterior that is tender and inviting to the bite.

Why You'll Love These Traditional Italian Peach Cookies

• Easy To Make Cookie Dough: All you need is flour, sugar, eggs, and baking powder for a light and airy texture.

• Creamy Filling: The vanilla pastry cream and tender cookie come together for a melt-in-your-mouth dessert

• Showstopping: Vibrant colors achieved through food coloring to mimic the hues of ripe peaches. A truly stunning centerpiece for any dessert table, sure to impress your guests.

How To Make Traditional Italian Peach Cookies

Make The Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line baking trays with non-stick paper.

• Beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick, then mix in melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla.

• Sift and stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and milk into the egg mixture; form 42 small dough balls.

• Bake for 10-12 minutes until pale and soft, then cool slightly.

Make The Pastry Cream

• Heat milk with vanilla bean and seeds until boiling; whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks.

• Gradually add hot milk to egg mixture, return to saucepan, and whisk until thickened.

• Incorporate butter into the cooled pastry cream and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Assemble & Decorate

• Create a hole in the bottom of each cookie, fill with pastry cream, and join halves.

• Dip cookies in a water-food coloring mixture, drain, and roll in sugar.

• Chill in cupcake cases for at least 12 hours before serving; add mint leaf for decoration if desired.

The History of Traditional Italian Peach Cookies

Traditionally, Pesche Dolci are enjoyed during special occasions and festive gatherings in Italy, particularly during the summer months when peaches are in season. They are often served alongside coffee or tea, making them a perfect treat for afternoon gatherings or family celebrations. The process of making these cookies is often a cherished family tradition, passed down through generations, with each family adding their own unique twist to the recipe.

For more cookie recipes, check out my:

Lemon Pistachio Cookies

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Italian Peach Cookies

Christmas Monster Cookies

Copycat Oatmeal Cream Pies

Cannoli Cookies

Make sure to tag me @bakerbabe.ca on Instagram if you make these vanilla bean shortbread cookies! I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PEACH COOKIES

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, red food colouring

For The 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

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). Make 42 little dough balls 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.

3. Fill a small bowl with water, with some red 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 cookies in cupcake cases and put them in the fridge for at least 12 hours before serving. They will soften beautifully- add a mint leaf for decoration if desired.