In a small saucepan, heat the milk until warm. Remove from the heat and transfer the milk into a cup. Add the yeast to the milk and stir with a spoon until it dissolves. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Mix the milk and yeast with the rest of the ingredients for the dough. Knead by hand in a bowl or using a mixer for 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough into walnut-sized balls. Place the balls in baking dishes lined with parchment paper. Lightly toss with flour and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rest for a couple of hours or until the balls have doubles in volume.

Once the dough has risen, bake it in a 350° F oven until golden. Then, remove from the oven and let cool.

Make a hole in the flat part of the balls. Moisten with 1 tsp of milk liquor and 1 tsp of simple syrup. Fill with the pastry cream. Pair the balls together, forming the shape of a peach. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients.

Once you have finished, decorate the “peaches.” Brush first with the milk liquor and then with a sweet red-colored liquor of your choice, giving the peaches a nice pink color.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Food History

Sweet to taste and beautiful to look at, dessert is often people’s favorite part of a meal. Symbol of both sensuality and childhood, desserts have, more than any other food, stimulated the creativity of artists and writers. Just think of “Hansel and Gretel,” “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,” or “Chocolat.”
Our passion for sweet flavors is instinctive. By nature, humans are inclined to look for sweet flavors. It is only over time that we learn to love bitter things. It should therefore come as no surprise that in ancient times, man always attempted to sweeten his food by adding honey to bread or fruit, for example. In Ancient Egypt, people would make animal-shaped tarts and cakes, which were considered so prized that were prepared as offerings for the gods.

Other suggested recipes

• Strawberry and Chantilly Millefoglie 
• Zeppole di San Giuseppe - Saint Joseph's Fritters 
• Ligurian Sweet Milk Fritters