Fake peaches with alchermes
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 346
- Carbohydrates g 55
- of which sugars g 27.5
- Protein g 8
- Fats g 10.5
- of which saturated fat g 5.23
- Fiber g 1
- Cholesterol mg 171
- Sodium mg 91
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Makes: 15 pieces
- Cost: Low
- Note + 1 hour of cooling
PRESENTATION
Colorful, eye-catching treats always get the crowd talking—especially when those treats are fake peaches with alchermes. These sweet and soft Italian peach cookies, better known as pesche dolci, stand out on any dessert table with their nice, peach-like look and vibrant red hue from alchermes liqueur. Layered with that familiar fuzzy sugar outside, each one looks just like a real fruit, right down to the subtle coloring, making them a favorite pick among classic Italian desserts. No wonder home bakers gravitate toward these for family birthdays, showers, or holiday spreads—fake peaches with alchermes always impress kids and adults alike, lending bright color and a touch of tradition. That rich liqueur soak adds so much character, giving every bite a unique, slightly floral taste that’s just different enough to be special but not so bold that it scares off picky eaters...it’s a DELICIOUS trick families use to win over new dessert lovers. Even people who don’t always go for Italian baking recipes find these eye-catchers hard to resist when they spot them in a lineup of holiday sweets or party desserts.
Turns out, pesche dolci aren’t just pretty—they’re also really versatile for busy families and regular bakers. Some folks love the creamy custard fill, others go for the chocolate, but either way, these moist, fluffy little cookie pairs are easy to fit into any celebration without much fuss. For parties, you can plate them up alone, stack them with fresh fruit, or dot a few around a bigger dessert platter—always looks great and disappears fast! Kids especially like how real those sugary leaves and peach fuzz look, while adults appreciate the rich liqueur depth that gives these alchermes-soaked desserts real staying power in Italian party tradition. Making a splash at everything from Sunday dinners to big family events, peach-shaped cookies work for all ages and occasions (they’re a hit at potlucks, too). Whether presented with coffee after a meal or enjoyed as a quick treat at a picnic, it’s the combination of fun style, nostalgic flavor, and crowd-pleasing sweetness that keeps these desserts at the top of every home baker’s list—REALLY good every single time.
INGREDIENTS
- for about 15 peaches
- Butter ½ cup (100 g) - at room temperature
- Type 00 flour 4 cups (500 g)
- Sugar 0.875 cup (175 g)
- Eggs 3
- Baking powder 3 ½ tsp (16 g) - (1 packet)
- Whole milk 4 spoonfuls
- Lemon peel 1 - to grate
- Salt 1 pinch
- for the custard
- Whole milk 2.1 cups (500 ml)
- Type 00 flour 0.3 cup (40 g)
- Egg yolks 6
- Sugar 0.9 cup (180 g)
- Lemon peel 1 - to grate
How to prepare Fake peaches with alchermes
Place the flour, baking powder, vanillin, sugar, salt, room temperature butter 1, 3 eggs, and grated lemon zest 2 into the bowl of a mixer (or in a bowl if kneading by hand). Knead everything by adding as much milk as needed to obtain a rather soft dough but workable with your hands 3.
Flour your hands and take a bit of dough with a spoon or spatula 4 with which you will form balls the size of a large walnut (about 0.9 oz each)5 that you will place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them a few inches apart. Proceed this way until the dough is used up (about 28-30 balls)6.
Bake the obtained balls in a preheated oven at 355°F for about 15-20 minutes. The dough, which should not color while baking, 7 will create about 30 hemispheres. Meanwhile, prepare the custard (see recipe by clicking Pastry cream) and let it cool. When the hemispheres are cooked, remove them from the oven and let them cool, then take a teaspoon and slightly hollow out the center of the flat side of each piece 8 to obtain a small cavity. Put the custard into a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle and squeeze it into the small cavity in the center of each hemisphere 9;
join two hemispheres by their flat sides to form a peach 10. In a small bowl, pour the red alchermes, while in a small plate put some granulated sugar. Quickly dip and extract the peaches in the alchermes 11, let them drain well and roll them in granulated sugar 12, then place them on a plate. Place the fake peaches in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then, when serving, decorate them with green wafer, sugar, or marzipan leaves.