Pioneer Woman Italian Peach Cookies

These adorable, pastel-colored Pioneer Woman Italian peach cookies are soft vanilla sandwich cookies filled with peach preserves buttercream, dipped in tinted milk, and rolled in granulated sugar to look like fuzzy little peaches. They take about an hour to prep and a little over an hour to bake and assemble.

The trick to making these look like real peaches is the two-tone dip. You tint one small bowl of milk pink and another yellow, then quickly dip one half of each sandwich cookie into the yellow and the other half into the pink. The sugar sticks to the damp surface and gives each cookie that shimmery, peach-fuzz look. Work fast because the cookies only need a brief dip. Too long and they absorb too much liquid and start falling apart.

Hollow out the bottom of each cookie while they’re still slightly warm. Cold cookies crack when you try to carve into them. Use a small knife to cut a tiny circle, then scoop out a shallow well with a quarter-teaspoon measuring spoon. That cavity holds the peach buttercream so the filling stays hidden inside the sandwich instead of squishing out the sides when you press the two halves together.

Pioneer Woman Italian Peach Cookies

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:Italian Courses:Pioneer Woman Desserts Recipes

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servings Best Season:Summer

Description

These Pioneer Woman Italian peach cookies sandwich peach buttercream between soft vanilla rounds, dipped in tinted milk and rolled in sugar for a stunning peach-shaped treat.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature, divided
  
• Red food coloring
  
• Yellow food coloring
  
• Mint or basil leaves (optional)

For the peach buttercream:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• Pinch of kosher salt
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons peach preserves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
   
3. Beat the butter and 1 cup of the granulated sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, beating until combined.
   
4. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture alternating with 1/4 cup of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat just until combined after each addition.
   
5. Scoop scant teaspoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball and gently press the top into a rounded disk.
   
6. Bake until lightly golden on the bottom and springy to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
   
7. While the cookies are still slightly warm, use a small knife to cut a tiny circle into the underside of each cookie. Scoop out a shallow hole using a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon.
   
8. For the buttercream, beat the butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed. Add the peach preserves and beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 1 minute.
   
9. Spread a small amount of buttercream into each hollowed-out hole. Spread a thin layer on the flat bottoms and press two cookies together to form sandwiches.
   
10. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup of milk between two small bowls. Add 1 to 2 drops of red food coloring to one bowl and 1 to 2 drops of yellow to the other. Place the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
    
11. Quickly dip one side of each sandwich cookie into the yellow milk and the other side into the pink milk. Let the excess drip off, then roll immediately in the granulated sugar until fully coated.
    
12. Tuck a mint or basil leaf between the two cookies to look like a peach stem.

FAQs

Why hollow out the cookies while they’re still warm?

Warm cookies are soft enough to carve without cracking. Once they cool completely, the inside firms up and the knife breaks the cookie apart instead of cutting cleanly. Work quickly after they come off the rack.

Can I use a different filling instead of peach buttercream?

Yes. Pastry cream, Nutella, plain peach preserves, or a chocolate ganache all work inside the hollowed-out cookies. The buttercream gives the best structure for holding the two halves together, but any thick, spreadable filling does the job.

What do I serve it with?

A cup of espresso or a glass of dessert wine like Moscato. These are showpiece cookies, so they look best on a platter by themselves. For a fuller spread, the  Peach Ice Cream in a bowl nearby gives guests a frozen option in the same flavor lane. A plate of the Strawberry Oatmeal Bars beside them adds a simpler, crumbly contrast to these more elaborate cookies.

How long do these keep?

Up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or up to a week in the fridge. The sugar coating softens slightly over time as it absorbs moisture from the cookies, but the flavor stays the same.

Why did the cookies fall apart when I dipped them?

You left them in the milk too long. The dip should be fast, barely a second per side. The milk is just enough to make the surface sticky so the sugar adheres. Submerging the cookies or letting them soak turns the outer layer soft and they crumble apart.