Sweet peaches with alchermes

Ingredients:

for the biscuits

  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 170 g sugar
  • 100 g soft butter at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 500 g 00 flour
  • 1 sachet of baking powder

for the chocolate custard

  • 400 g of fresh whole milk
  • 100 g of fresh liquid cream (which you can replace with 80 g of whole milk)
  • 4 very fresh medium egg yolks
  • 150 g sugar (reduce to 130 g)
  • 40 g of potato starch
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 150 g of 70% dark chocolate

to decorate

  • 50 ml Alchermes liqueur
  • granulated sugar
  • leaves to decorate

Preparation:

cookies

  1. Put the eggs and sugar in a mixer (otherwise you can use an electric whisk) and mix for a couple of minutes until you get a light and frothy mixture.
  2. add the soft butter in pieces and the milk and continue to work
  3. add the sifted flour together with the yeast (if you use a stand mixer, replace the whisk with the K hook)
  4. When the dough is soft and slightly sticky, pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work it a little to make it less sticky
  5. divide the dough into 25g portions
  6. make little balls and then flatten the bottom part when you place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper (this trick is essential for making perfectly shaped peaches!)
  7. cook in a STATIC oven preheated to 180° for approximately 15 minutes: the biscuits must remain a little whitish on the surface and slightly amber underneath
  8. take them out of the oven and let them cool
  9. Using the tip of a sharp knife, hollow out the inside of the biscuits.

chocolate custard

  1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla for about 2 minutes. Use an electric whisk to obtain a light, frothy and fluffy mixture
  2. add the sifted starch to the mixture
  3. mix with an electric whisk until you obtain a homogeneous, smooth and perfectly whipped product
  4. In a saucepan, mix fresh cream and milk, place on the heat and bring to the boil
  5. be careful not to boil the liquids too much
  6. As soon as you see the very first bubbles, remove from the heat and quickly pour the egg yolk, sugar and starch mixture into the milk
  7. put back on medium heat
  8. wait a few seconds: the egg mixture will float on the surface of the milk without sinking to the bottom, thanks to the fact that the whipped egg yolk and sugar has incorporated enough air to remain on the surface. It will take about 1 minute and you will see "craters" appear on the surface, i.e. milk bubbles that pierce the surface of the yolk and slowly the egg will detach from the edges of the pan, leaving room for the milk
  9. mix quickly with a hand whisk and immediately turn off the heat, in a few seconds the cream is ready
  10. when your cream is still boiling, add the previously chopped chocolate
  11. Stir quickly with a whisk until it melts completely and immediately pour the cream into a well-spread serving dish, covered with cling film in contact
  12. let it cool completely to room temperature
  13. when the cream is cold, it will seem thick and compact, just stir it quickly with a hand whisk and the chocolate custard is ready to be used.

peaches

  1. put the cream in a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle and fill the biscuits
  2. join 2 halves to form a peach, letting a little cream come out
  3. Pour the Alchermes into a small dish and dip the peaches in it, taking them out quickly
  4. Drain the peaches soaked in alchermes
  5. roll them in granulated sugar
  6. Place the alchermes peaches on a small plate or in some paper cups.

Advice:

  • Store sweet peaches in the fridge and take them out half an hour before eating them
  • The peaches should not be left in the Alchermes for too long, otherwise they will become too soaked and lose consistency.
  • Sweet peaches can be kept for a couple of days in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container because otherwise they lose their fragrance.

Alchermes was once considered an elixir of long life and was even given to children as a sedative!

Peaches are a traditional dessert perfect for breakfast, a snack or as a dessert to pleasantly conclude a lunch or dinner.

Enjoy your meal!