Treat yourself to Prato Peaches with this recipe, a Tuscan dessert named for its peach-like appearance. These brioche pastries are soaked in Alkermes and can be filled with cream or chocolate, offering a sweet bite of history.
Authentic Prato Peach Pastry (Pesche di Prato)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- Baking sheet
- Baking sheet
- Small knife
- Small pot
- Piping bag (optional)
Ingredients
For the Dough (Biga):
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup room temperature water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
For the Final Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2½ tbsp softened butter
- 2 tbsp acacia honey
- 1¾ tsp salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
For the Pastry Cream:
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Seeds of ½ vanilla bean
- Pinch of salt
For the Alkermes Syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup Alkermes liqueur
- 3½ tbsp glucose syrup
For Garnishing:
- Candied orange peel as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the Biga: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, egg, and yeast with most of the water. Combine until smooth. If too dry, add the remaining water. Form into a ball, cover with flour, and let rise for 1-1.5 hours until nearly tripled in volume.
- Make Final Dough: Add the biga and additional flour to a mixer. Incorporate sugar, butter, most of the eggs, honey, salt, orange zest, and vanilla seeds. Mix at low speed, then increase until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides. Let it rise again for about 1.5 hours, until doubled.
- Shape Dough: Divide the dough into small portions (about 12 grams each). Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten all the balls to give them a slightly flat shape. Let rise for 2 hours.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C). Bake the dough balls for 6-7 minutes until golden. Let cool.
- Prepare Pastry Cream: Heat milk, cream, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. In another pot, whisk half the sugar with flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add warm milk mixture and egg yolks. Cook until thick, cool in an ice bath, and transfer to a piping bag.
- Make Alkermes Syrup: Boil water, sugar, and glucose. Cool, then add Alkermes.
- Assemble Peaches: Cut a slit in each dough ball. Dip in Alkermes syrup, than use pastry cream to pair up two dough ball and form peach shapes.
- Finish: Roll the assembled pastries in sugar and garnish with candied orange peel, mimicking the peach's stem.
- Store: Keep in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Notes
- Listen to the dough during mixing for the right consistency.
- Infuse vanilla in milk and lemon zest in cream overnight for a more aromatic cream.
- Weighing ingredients precisely ensures balance in the recipe.
Tuscan Peach Pastries: Discover Prato’s Sweet Delight
Looking for a unique dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth? Look no further than Pesche di Prato, or “Prato Peaches.” This delightful Tuscan treat, found between Prato and Florence, may sound fruity, but it’s a cleverly shaped pastry! Check out other Prato favorite foods here.
These exquisite pastries consist of two halves of soft brioche, filled with your choice of cream or chocolate. What gives them their charming peach-like appearance and pink hue is Alkermes, a traditional Tuscan liqueur with medieval roots. The story goes that Pesche di Prato were first created during the celebrations of Italian Unification, quickly becoming a beloved local specialty, much like the renowned Cantucci biscuit.
Biting into a Pesche di Prato is a heavenly experience: the softness of the brioche pairs perfectly with the creamy filling, complemented by the subtle, aromatic flavor of Alkermes. It’s a symphony of textures and tastes that’s simply divine!
Available at bakeries and pastry shops in Prato, these pastries are a year-round favorite, ideal for dessert or as a delightful snack.
MMM yummy!