Pesche all'Alchermes (Peach-shaped cookies dipped in Alchermes)
Author: Very EATalian
Ingredients
COOKIES
500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
175 g (3/4 cup and 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
100 g (7 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
16 g (1 Tbsp) baking powder
3 eggs
The seeds of half vanilla bean
A pinch of salt
4 Tbsp milk
CHOCOLATE ITALIAN CUSTARD (CREMA PASTICCERA AL CIOCCOLATO)
500 ml (2 and ¼ cups) whole milk
The seeds of half vanilla bean
4 large egg yolks
150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
40 g (5 Tbsp) all-purpose flour, sifted
85 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
30 g (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
SUGAR COATING
Alchermes, as needed
Granulated Sugar
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough by mixing flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, eggs, vanilla seeds, salt. You can either do this by hand or using a stand mixer. Once combined, add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you obtain a soft, yet workable dough.
Heat the oven to 360 F (180 C).
Take a small quantity of dough (about 25 grams), form a small ball and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you use up all your dough. Make sure leave some space between each dough ball. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie is lightly colored. You will obtain about 30 dome-shaped cookies. Let them cool.
With a small paring knife, carve out a small hole at the bottom of each cookie dome, being careful not to carve too deeply or the cookie will break. The hole should be about the size of a quarter dollar (about an inch or 2.5 cm). Lay each dome hole-side up on a tray.
Prepare the chocolate custard, by beating the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl. Add the potato starch (or flour) and mix well. Heat milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan until warm and then pour a little warm milk over the yolk mixtures, to temper them. Add the rest of the milk, whisking constantly. Return mixture to the saucepan, over medium heat and continue to mix until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add sifted cocoa powder and chopped chocolate. Stir well until blended. Remove from the heat and let cool.
With a piping bag, pipe some chocolate custard inside each hole. Once all cookie halves have been filled, take two domes and put them together applying a gentle pressure, so that the custard will hold them together. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Prepare two bowls: one with some Alchermes liqueur in it, another one with sugar in it. Dip each pastry in Alchermes, making sure all sides have absorbed enough liquid (avoid eccessive soaking). Roll the soaked pastry in sugar, set aside and repeat the process for the rest of the pastries.
Decorate with a mint leaf. Alternatively, you can make a leave by mixing marzipan with green food coloring. Refrigerate, if not eating right away.