Pesche Con Crema
Ingredients
Directions
For the Cookies
3½ c
all-purpose flour
1 tbsp
baking powder
3
eggs, room temperature
½ c
granulated sugar
½ c
whole milk
2 tbsp
lemon zest
2 tbsp
lemon juice
1 tsp
pure vanilla extract
1
stick unsalted butter, melted
For the Buttercream
¼ c
vegetable shortening
¼ c
unsalted butter, softened
2½ c
confectioner's sugar
½ tsp
almond extract
¼ tsp
pure vanilla extract
2
drops of orange food dye (or until you achieve the right color)
a splash of whole milk (optional)
For Assembly
1
bunch of mint leaves, washed and dried
1 tbsp
red sprinkles
1 tbsp
yellow sprinkles
1 tbsp
orange sprinkles
¼ c
sugar
Pesche Con Crema
This Italian sandwich cookie is lemon-flecked and filled with buttercream, then rolled in pink sugar and topped with a mint leaf to look like a peach. To make ahead, just keep in a sealed container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to two months, and save the mint leaf until you’re ready to serve.
18-20 cookies
For the Cookies
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift together flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In a measuring cup, vigorously whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.
- Using a wooden spoon, create a well in the center of your dry ingredients and slowly pour in your wet mixture, all the while whisking slowly.
- With floured hands, turn dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a ball. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Take out of fridge and return to a bowl (for easy management of the dough).
- Using a cookie scoop, portion out as many balls of dough as you can, keeping a one-inch margin on all sides of each piece of dough (you will have to do a second round to finish off the dough).
- When you have portioned out all your dough that can fit on the baking sheets, gently roll each in your hand and press down very slightly to create a flat surface on the bottom of the cookies.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and tops are very rounded and puffed. Some cookies may crack, but that is okay!
- Immediately rest on a cooling rack and continue with your second batch.
- Allow second batch to cool before moving on to decorating with icing, sprinkles sugar, and mint leaves.
For the Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together shortening and butter until well blended.
- With mixer on low, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Turn mixer up to high and beat until you get peaks and ripples.
For Assembly
- When all cookies are cooled, pair up each hemisphere with one that is about the same size or complementary to each other.
- Using a small offset spatula, take a small bit of buttercream and add to each flat half of your cookie.
- Press the halves gently together and return to cooling rack.
- Repeat with remaining cookies and allow for buttercream to harden slightly so they stay stuck together.
- While all peaches are drying out a bit, use a small bowl and mix together a tablespoon each of red, yellow, and orange sprinkles. Add a drop or two of food coloring and just the smallest splash or water to moisten the sprinkles. Add ¼ cup of white sugar and mix together into a paste. You have some artistic freedom here, so make them as colorful or as sparkling as you’d like.
- Using your hands or a pastry brush, coat your cookies in this sprinkle mixture and allow to dry completely (2 hours). Repeat with all remaining peaches.
- Finally, take a sprig of mint leaves and attach to the tops of your peaches for that freshly picked look.
- And finally, enjoy! They keep in an airtight container for up to a week, but can be frozen for 2 months. In either case, do not add the mint leaf until you want to present them.
Brett Braley
Brett F. Braley is the writer, baker, and photographer behind FigandBleu.com (@figandbleu). His work centers on traditional American desserts, combined with new flavors or techniques.