Peach Cookies (Breskvice)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 4 eggs, separated

• 3 C. white pastry flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 C. sugar

• 1 pkg. vanilla sugar

• 1 C. vegetable oil

• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind 

Filling:

• Dough center crumbs (see method)

• 1 Tbsp. cocoa

• 2 C. apricot or rosehip jam

• 1 Tbsp. rum

• 1-2 Tbsp. milk (or more – see Method)

Decoration:

• ¼ C. water

• Red food colouring

• ¼ C. peach brandy

• Yellow food colouring

• Granulated sugar

Method

Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, not dry.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, oil, and sugars, until frothy.

3. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

4. Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture. Carefully fold in the flour, being careful not to deflate the mixture.

5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for about one hour.

6. After one hour, turn oven on to 350°F and take mixture out of the refrigerator.

7. Divide the dough into about four or five even pieces. Take one piece and using your hands, roll the piece into a long rope.

8. With a sharp knife, cut the dough rope into segments of about one inch (2 cm) each. Take each of the segments and roll them into a ball.

9. Place balls about one inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

10. Bake 6-8 minutes until the bottom is only very light golden in colour. Do not overbake.

11. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

1. With a sharp paring knife, cut a circle on the bottom of each cookie, being careful not to poke through the other side, and scoop out the insides, saving the crumbs in a separate bowl to make the filling.

2. Put the cookie crumbs in a food processor (or a mixing bowl). NOTE: If not using a food processor, you could warm up ½ C. milk (and reduce jam by to 1-1/2 C.) and pour the warm milk over the cookie mixture to mash it into a smooth texture).

3. Add the cocoa, rum, jam and milk. Process until well mixed. The filling should be moist.

4. Fill each cavity of the cookie.

5. Take two filled cookies and sandwich them together.

6. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Colouring and decorating:

1. Place 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and add 2 drops red food coloring, mixing well.

2. Place 1/4 cup peach brandy in another small bowl and add 2 drops yellow food coloring, mixing well.

3. Place 1/2 cup sugar in another small bowl.

4. Take one cookie and quickly dip it halfway into the red food coloring bowl. Then dip the other half quickly into the yellow food coloring bowl.

5. Roll cookie in sugar.

6. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan to dry completely before storing in an airtight container.

Peach cookies (Breskvice)