Italian Peach Cookies Recipe (Pesche Dolci) 

Italian Peach Cookies, known as Pesche Dolci, are a classic Italian cookie shaped and colored to look like a peach. This fun and beautiful cookie is a staple at Italian weddings and would be perfect for all special occasions. 

Classic Italian Peach Cookies are a delicious and fun authentic Italian dessert made to look like a peach. This is a great treat to have on hand for summer gatherings or whenever you want a beautiful and tasty cookie on hand. 

For more authentic Italian cookies, don't miss these Italian Wedding Cookies or Sicilian Almond Cookies. If you love peach treats, try this Peach Ricotta Cake or these simple Blueberry Peach Muffins. 

What are Italian Peach Cookies? 

Italian peach cookies, or "Pesche Dolci," are a delightful treat that look just like real peaches, however, are not commonly peach flavored. 

The peach cookies are made by sandwiching together two small, round cookies with a delicious filling, which can be Italian Pastry Cream, Nutella, fruit preserves, or a ricotta mixture like I'm using in this recipe. 

Once assembled, the cookies are dipped in a sweet red liqueur, like Alchermes or a similar red liqueur, and rolled in sugar to give them a peachy color and texture. To top it all off, they're often decorated with a little mint leaf or a piece of candied fruit to resemble a peach stem. 

These cookies are not only tasty but also look amazing, making them perfect for special occasions and celebrations.

Ingredients

Flour: all purpose flour works best. Be sure to sift the flour before using. 

Baking Powder: make sure you are using baking powder and not baking soda. 

Salt: add a bit of kosher salt to balance out the sweetness. 

Sugar: you will need granulated sugar for the cookie dough, ricotta filling, and to create the "peach fuzz" on the outside of the cookie. 

Milk: I like to use 2% or whole milk for baking. 

Eggs: you will need three large room temperature eggs. 

Butter: use unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit additional salt in the recipe. 

Ricotta: for this recipe I'm using a simple ricotta filing made with drained whole milk ricotta cheese. You can fill your Italian Peach Cookies with a variety of spreads. See below for suggestions. 

Liqueur: the classic liqueur for Peshce Dolci is Alchermes, a bright red Italian liqueur. However, it can be difficult to find so I use red Campari. You could also use a peach liqueur like Peach Schnapps for a peachy flavor. See below for more suggested substitutes.

Food coloring: red and yellow food coloring is optional and can be used if you are dipping the cookies in a clear liquid. However, I find that it is usually not necessary if using a red liqueur.

Mint: to make the "stem" of the peaches, use small mint leaves or some sort of candied leaf for decoration. 

Filling Variations

Peach Jam: if you wanted a peachy flavor to this cookie, consider adding a scoop of peach jam instead of the ricotta filling. You could also stir a bit of peach preserves or lemon zest into the filling. 

Italian Pastry Cream: pastry cream is another delicious filing option. Be sure to make the pastry cream ahead of time and give it time to cool and set before using. 

Nutella: spoon in some Nutella or another chocolate filling in the center of the cookies instead. 

Liqueur Substitutes

Alchermes is a traditional Italian liqueur known for its bright red color and sweet, spicy flavor, often used in Italian Peach Cookies. If you need a substitute for Alchermes, consider the following options:

• Grenadine with a Splash of Brandy: Grenadine provides the red color, and brandy adds depth and warmth, mimicking the flavor profile of Alchermes.
• Campari: This bitter, red Italian liqueur can be used as a substitute, though it is more bitter and less sweet. Adding a bit of sugar syrup can help balance the flavor.
• Red Vermouth: Sweet red vermouth can replace Alchermes in many recipes, offering a similar depth of flavor and color.
• Homemade Alchermes Substitute: Mix equal parts of brandy or vodka with simple syrup, and add a few drops of red food coloring, a pinch of cinnamon, cloves, and a splash of orange or rose water to approximate the flavor.

These substitutes will work in most recipes that call for Alchermes, though the exact flavor may vary slightly.

How to Make Italian Peach Cookies

Italian Peach Cookies are a simple and delicious cookie that are great for special occasions like weddings. These cookies have a couple of steps, but can be made and assembled a day in advance for best flavor. 

Step 1: make the cookie batter

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 

In a separate bowl or bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with paddle attachment, use an electric mixer to beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, and melted butter. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until the batter is combined. 

Step 2: roll into balls and bake

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, use a small cookie scoop to measure out equal-sized mounds of dough. 

Roll the dough in your hands to make a ball shape. Place on prepared baking sheets and continue with remaining dough, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. You should be able to get 24 cookies per baking sheet. 

Slightly flatten the dough balls and place on center oven rack to bake for about 13-15 minutes. Note that the cookies won't change color but the bottoms will turn a light golden brown. 

Let the cookies cool slightly on a wire cooling rack. 

Step 3: remove cookie filling

To stuff the peaches, you need to remove a bit of the cookie filling. Do so by using a small sharp knife and gently cutting a circular shape in the bottom of the cookie and remove part of the cookie centers. 

It's best to do this while the cookies are still slightly warm and haven't had a chance to harden completely. 

Step 4: filling the cookies 

Lastly, place your filling in a pastry bag or freezer bag with a small hole cut into the corner. Squeeze a small amount of filling into the cookie holes. Sandwich the cookies together using similar sized cookies. 

Decorating Italian Peach Cookies

Once you have your cookies filled and sandwiched together, you can start decorating them to look like peaches. To get the color of the peaches, you will need to dip the cookies into a bright red liqueur. 

Place the cookies over a rack and either quick dip or brush the cookies with the liqueur. Then, in a separate medium bowl, use a spoon to spoon on granulated sugar, catching the excess in the bowl. 

Lastly, stick a piece of mint leave in the edges of the Italian peach cookies to look like the leaf of the peach. Let the cookies set in the refrigerator, uncovered, until ready to serve. 

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

Recipe Tips

• You can make the cookie base ahead of time and fill before using. Just be sure to cut the excess dough out of the bottom of each cookie before storing. 
• Store the unfilled cookies at room temperature for up to three days before using. Use the leftover cookie crumbs to top ice cream or crush up for cake pops. 
• You can fill these cookies with the ricotta mixture, or use a pastry cream or peach jam as the filling. 
• If you are using ricotta, be sure to drain it well over a fine mesh sieve before using to get rid of the excess moisture. 
• The original recipe for Italian Peach Cookies uses Alchermes liqueur, which can be difficult to find. I suggest using another red liqueur like Campari. You can also use a peach liqueur and dye it red with food coloring. 

More Traditional Italian Cookies