Name: Italian Peach Cookies
Prep time: 150 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 1 cup sugar; 3/4 cup canola oil; 1/2 cup 2% milk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; FILLING:; 1 cup peach or apricot preserves; 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans; 3 ounces cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons unsweetened instant tea; 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; COATING:; 2 packages (3 ounces each) lemon gelatin; 2 packages (3 ounces each) peach or orange gelatin; 2 packages (3 ounces each) strawberry gelatin; 1/2 cup sugar; Mint leaves and additional apricot preserves

These Italian peach cookies are labor intensive, to be sure, but they will be some of the finest-looking treats you ever make.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

FILLING:

1 cup peach or apricot preserves

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsweetened instant tea

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

COATING:

2 packages (3 ounces each) lemon gelatin

2 packages (3 ounces each) peach or orange gelatin

2 packages (3 ounces each) strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

Mint leaves and additional apricot preserves

Instructions

1 Prepare the batter

2 In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla together until blended. Separately combine the flour and baking powder, then gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

3 Form the cookies, then bake

4 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls, then place these 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the cookie balls slightly, then bake them for 13 to 15 minutes or until firm. Remove the cookies to wire racks.

5 Slice and scoop the cookies

6 While the cookies are still warm, use a sharp knife and small spoon to cut and scoop out about 1/2 teaspoon of crumbs from the bottom of each cookie. Set the crumbs aside (aim for about about 1-1/2 cups total) for making the filling. Then let the cookies cool completely.

7 Prepare the filling, shape the peach cookies

8 In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients, then stir in the reserved crumbs. Spoon the filling into two cookies, then spread a thin amount of filling on the cookie bottoms and press them together to form a peach. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.

9 Prepare the gelatin-sugar coating

10 In a shallow bowl, combine one package each of lemon and orange gelatin powder. Place one package of strawberry gelatin powder in another bowl, and place the remaining sugar in a third bowl.

11 Coat the cookies

12 Working with one cookie at a time, spritz a cookie with water. Then dip it in the lemon gelatin mixture, then in the strawberry gelatin, then in the sugar. Spritz the cookie with additional water and add more gelatin as needed to create the desired peach blush effect. Place the decorated cookies on a wire rack to dry for one hour.

13 Attach the mint leaves and chill

14 Repeat the gelatin and sugar coating with the remaining cookies and packages of gelatin, then attach mint leaves to the top of each cookie using additional preserves. Store the finished cookies in the refrigerator.