Fall Peaches

Peach orchard visits in my neck of the woods are now over for the season, but I can still enjoy fresh peaches.  And you can too, with these Peach cookies.

These cute little peach cookies look like the real thing with a biscuit-like texture and creamy buttercream filling. 

Throughout this post, you can enjoy more about these “peach-fuzz”-covered cookies, but I’m also introducing a new regular interview segment that I think you’ll love. 

But first, let’s get to these adorable cookies.

I remember the first time I saw these in a cookbook, La Vita `e Dolce, and I knew I just had to make them. They look so realistic with the fuzzy looking texture and that sweet little mint leaf.

I have a lovely Q&A with the cookbook author and creator of these peach cookies further down in this post. It’s a fun read and I think you’ll enjoy it.

The recipe is actually quite simple and involves rolling the dough into small balls, and baking to light golden perfection and then, adding color to the tops.

OK, on a side note, I gotta mention this mixer. I bought that new Evergreen KitchenAid that’s all the buzz right now. Much to the chagrin of my hubby, I couldn’t resist.

Initially, I had concerns about the use and care of the walnut bowl. However, I’ve been conditioning it with food-safe butcher block oil before and after use and so far, it’s just fine. I also picked up a 5qt. KitchenAid glass mixer bowl ($40 at Walmart), to use when I have a small batch but don’t want to use the wood bowl.

I don’t intend to use this Evergreen as a workhorse (I have a different mixer for that), but I do think the green and wood combo is going to be a great element to incorporate into my food photos and videos. Yeah, food photographers think that way.

Oh, and this is in no way an ad or promotion for the mixer but I wanted to talk about it because there’s so much chatter about this mixer online, among my family and circle of friends who bake, and it’s even the topic of a recent Washington Post article. Anyway, I love it and I’m glad I bought it.

OK, let’s get back to the peach cookies, the recipe, a video and the unveiling of a brand new interview feature around here.

The beautiful coloring of these peach cookies comes from the hand painting.

Just a few drops of red and yellow food color provides a nice color variation and the sugar roll provides the distinct looking peach fuzz texture.

I will say I tweaked the original recipe just a tad to my own taste, and you can too.

I’ve made these cookies several times and for this post, I used a buttercream frosting instead of ricotta called for in the original recipe. Both fillings are delicious.

Hmmm, think about these for the next shower you host? How cute would these look on a dessert table?

I continue to work on my food-on-the-move videography series, and I’ve included my latest Food in Motion video featuring these peach cookies for your viewing pleasure.

You can watch the video fullscreen within this post, or you can click and watch it over on YouTube.

If you opt to watch this video on YouTube, please consider subscribing to my channel, as I’m trying to grow my audience on that platform too.

Thanks so much for the sweet support and enjoy the video (and the recipe that follows).

Food in Motion

Creative Interview Series

I’m pleased to introduce a new feature you’ll start seeing around here as part of my new Creative Interview Series.

With this new segment, you’ll meet many of my favorite bakers, photographers and artisans who inspire me in my own creative endeavors.

Sometimes we’ll chat via Q&A, and other times we’ll get together via video hookup. Whatever the format, I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know these folks who always bring a wealth of insight, talent, humor and fun to their craft and conversation.

For my inaugural interview segment, allow me to introduce Letitia Clark, chef, illustrator food writer and author of several books including La Vita `e Dolce, which is where I found her lovely Peach & Almond cookie recipe.

A Conservation with Letitia Clark

Your peach cookies are such a unique and beautiful dessert! What inspired you to create them, and can you share any special techniques you use to make them perfect?

“I saw them in pastry shops and fell instantly in love, then I found a few different versions tried them out, and finally came up with one that worked for me. They are also sometimes made of fried dough, like doughnuts, and those are also delicious but more difficult to make. I’ve started using a mini cookie scoop which makes them more perfect“.

What role does tradition play in your cooking and baking, especially when it comes to classic Italian desserts?

“I love the classics, but Italian sweet baking can sometimes be a bit on the sweet side for me, so I often tweak a little and add salt (to temper the sweetness) and maybe a little extra citrus and reduce the sugar content a little. But I’d never want to go against tradition entirely, as there is such a strong and beautiful tradition, it’s just fun to experiment and innovate a little“.

When it comes to baking, what do you believe is the most important mindset for someone just starting to improve their skills?

“Don’t panic! Baking doesn’t have to be scary or off-putting, just find some recipes you like and trust and get to know your oven! You can experiment lots more than you think in baking, but just acquaint yourself first with the basics and then you can play around”. 

Do you have a favorite ingredient or flavor profile you love working within Italian desserts, and why?

“I adore citrus, so the profusion of Italian citrus is a joy to work with. I also love nuts, and most Italian dolci involve nuts of some kind. They are very good with their lemon flavoring specifically, and I love the matching of citrus and saffron, which is common here in Sardinia”. 

What are some common mistakes home bakers make, and what tips would you give to avoid them?

“I think overcomplicating things is a common mistake, especially when you are starting out. I also think when working with yeast lots of people don’t let their doughs rise and prove for long enough and then are surprised when their buns/bakes come out hard and heavy”.

Your book, La Vita `e Dolce covers a range of Italian recipes and I love that the English translation is “life is sweet”. What do you hope readers will take away from the book, beyond the recipes themselves?

“I hope it will give people a lift and make them happy, which is really all I want to do with my books. Amazingly, recipes can have that power. I wrote it during Covid and it seemed important to cling to the daily moments of joy sweet things can give”. 

How do you balance the rich traditions of Italian baking with new, creative twists in your recipes that help make them your own?

“As I said in the previous answer, I have huge respect for tradition but I also love to experiment and innovate, so I try to implement maybe one new flavour, or a tiny twist, but still using ingredients or techniques which are within the Italian canon, so it’s not totally incongruous. It’s always good to acknowledge tradition first before you play around with it too”. 

Which Italian dessert or baked good do you think is underrated, and why should more people try it?

“Well more people should definitely have a go at making gelato at home, and sorbet and granita, but then baking wise, I think people should get into Amaretti because they are so delicious! And so easy and gluten free too. Also you can adapt them into a million varieties”. 

Can you share a baking tip or technique from your book that you feel will really elevate a home baker’s skills?

“I think reading all the last few pages of the book about ingredients and techniques etc will really help anyone who wants to understand more. I really want the book to be approachable to anyone and everyone, so there are no magic tips or techniques, just a question of reading, trying and trying again“. 

I’m looking forward to reading your latest book, Wild Figs and Fennel: A Year in an Italian Kitchen.  What inspired you to write it and what are you most excited about sharing with readers?

“It’s a seasonal love letter to Italian food, with lots of foraged recipes and focus on lots of specific ingredients and recipes. There are so great seasonal cakes hidden in there too (I’m looking forward to making the pumpkin dark chocolate one again for Halloween)”. 

Thanks so much to Letitia for taking the time to share her thoughts with us. If you’d like to see read more about Letitia and her beautiful and delicious work, you can visit her website at Letitia Ann Clark, or pop over to her Instagram account at Letitia Ann Clark.

I hope you enjoyed the first of many interview segments to come. Stay tuned for more.

Thanks so much for stopping by Celebrate Creativity for a visit.

I’ll see you back here next time.

Stay safe and be well.