Italian Peach Wedding Cookies Food

PESCHE CON CREMA (PEACHES WITH CREAM)

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk and lemon zest to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow; add flour and whisk until well combined.
• Remove lemon zest from milk and discard; slowly whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and place over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until cream thickens and begins to boil.
• Transfer pastry cream to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely.
• Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk eggs in another large bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk, butter, and lemon zest until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing with a fork, until dough is smooth and stiff. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• Using a lightly mounded tablespoon of dough, roll the dough firmly between your palms to make a smooth round ball, about the size of a walnut. Repeat process, taking care to make sure all the balls are fairly uniform in size. Place balls on prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart; you should be able to fit 24 balls on each baking sheet. Flatten tops slightly with your fingertips.
• Transfer to oven and bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 15 minutes; tops will remain pale. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly.
• Assemble the peaches: While the cookies are still warm, use a small, sharp knife to cut a circle about the size of a quarter on the bottom (flat) side of each cookie, taking care not to crack the edges. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out enough crumbs to make hollow and hold about 1 teaspoon pastry cream. Set cookies aside.
• Place rum or maraschino liqueur and schnapps in a small bowl. Add enough red and yellow food coloring to create your desired shade of peach; set aside. Fill a shallow bowl with sugar; set aside.
• Fill each hollowed-out cookie with 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich two cookies together so that the filling comes just to the edge, taking care not to crack or break. Using a pastry brush, brush "peach" with colored liquor and roll in sugar to coat. Transfer to a large airtight container and repeat process with remaining cookies, liqueur, and sugar. Cover container and transfer to refrigerator; let chill overnight.
• Just before serving, pierce each "peach" with a toothpick where the two cookies come together and insert the stem of a peach leaf. Alternatively, you can garnish cookies with decorative or chocolate leaves.

ITALIAN PEACH WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Beat the eggs; add the oil, baking powder, cup of sugar and flour. Mix well then refrigerate overnight. Roll into balls a bit smaller than a walnut. Bake 15-18 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. When cookies have cooled a little bit, scoop out a small hole in the middle of the flat side of the cookie (large enough to hold a cherry) while handling very gentle. Then finish cooling. Fill the hole and spread a little frosting on the flat side of the cookie with cream cheese frosting and then insert the cherry in the whole. Place another flat side of cookie ontop of the filled one. Use your finger to smooth the frosting all the way around where the two cookies are joined together. This will help keep the cookies from absorbing too much liquid when dipped in it. Mix vermouth and food coloring together. Dip cookies quickly. Roll in sugar and let sit for 10 minutes. Shake off excess sugar and then roll in sugar again. Use a squeeze tube or can of green frosting to add the stem and leaf. Place each into their own cupcake paper cup. Beautiful! Looks like a PERFECT PEACH with a surprise in the middle! Tip: Try to match up two cookies that are similar in size after baking before joining them together for more perfect looking peaches. I have even frozen these with good results. Just make sure you put a label on them if there is the possibility of a recovering alcoholic is amoung those being treated to these beautiful cookies.

PESCHE - ITALIAN PEACH WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Mix together sugar, eggs and oil. Add flour and baking powder.
• Form 1" balls (cookies should be "flat" on the bottom where they rest on the cookie sheet) and bake about 10-15 minutes (until lightly browned on the bottom).
• While still warm, take a small pointed knife and scoop out a pocket on the flat side of each cookie.
• Fill with preserves & spread a small amount on the flat sides as you join 2 cookies together to form the peach.
• Color the brandy with a little food coloring & dip the peaches to give them a "blush".
• Then roll the peach in granulated sugar.
• You may garnish with artificial leaves for presentation.
• **Variation--if you have the time to make these lovely cookies on the actual day that they will be eaten, you may fill the pockets with pastry cream, and then seal the two halves together with melted dark chocolate!

ITALIAN WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter in a bowl. Gradually add confectioners sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add almonds and vanilla. Blend in flour gradually and mix well. Shape into crescents using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not brown. Cool slightly, then roll in the extra confectioners' sugar.

ITALIAN WEDDING COOKIES III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cream butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add almonds and vanilla. Blend in flour gradually and mix well.
• Shape into balls (or crescents) using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 15-20 min. Do not brown. Cool slightly, then roll in the extra confectioners' sugar.

ITALIAN WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Cream butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
• Add almonds and vanilla.
• Blend in flour gradually and mix well.
• Shape into balls (or crescents) using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Do not brown.
• Cool slightly, then roll in the extra confectioners' sugar.