Description
Peach Italian Cookies are delicate, soft cookies shaped and filled to resemble real peaches. These delightful treats are filled with peach curd, dipped in a peach-flavored syrup, and then coated with sugar to mimic the fuzzy texture of peaches. Inspired by the traditional Italian Peschi Dolci, these cookies blend fruity sweetness with subtle basil notes for a unique and charming dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup olive oil (extra virgin for more flavor or light for less flavor)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Peach Syrup
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups water
- 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
- ¼ cup peach liquor or peach soju
- yellow food coloring (as needed)
- red and/or pink food coloring (as needed)
Filling and Coating
- 1 cup peach curd (or jam)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 12 fresh basil leaves (or mint leaves)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, eggs, olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.
- Shape the Cookies: Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball, then slightly flatten to form cookie bases.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden but still soft. Remove and let cool completely.
- Prepare the Peach Syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice and zest, peach liquor, and food coloring. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until syrup slightly thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Assemble the Cookies: Take half of the baked cookies and gently press a basil leaf or mint leaf into the flat side of each. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of peach curd onto the cookie base with the leaf.
- Form the Peaches: Top each filled cookie with another cookie, pressing gently to sandwich the peach curd. Adjust the shapes with your fingers to look like real peaches.
- Dip in Syrup and Coat with Sugar: Dip each assembled cookie into the cooled peach syrup, then immediately roll it in granulated sugar to coat evenly. This gives the cookies their characteristic fuzzy peach look.
- Allow to Set: Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to dry and set for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use extra virgin olive oil for a richer flavor or light olive oil for a milder taste.
- Peach curd can be substituted with peach jam if unavailable.
- Adjust food coloring to get the perfect peach hue on the syrup.
- Fresh basil leaves add a pop of color and subtle flavor; mint leaves can be used as an alternative.
- These cookies are best enjoyed the same day or within two days for freshest taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 419 kcal
- Sugar: 49 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.04 g
- Carbohydrates: 74 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
