If you love sweets, Tuscany is a great holiday destination and a day trip to Prato, in particular, is an excellent idea. The city has birthed several iconic desserts and pastries but one of the most visually appealing has to be Pesche di Prato, a brioche bun that mimics the appearance of a peach. The bun is halved, cored, filled with vanilla custard, placed back together and dipped into an Italian liqueur called Alchermes, coated with sugar and topped with a mint leaf to complete the look. Just find a vacation rental in Florence, spend a day in Prato and discover it for yourself!
Pesche di Prato are said to have been first made at the end of March in 1861 when there was a massive dinner party in the Piazza del Duomo in Prato to celebrate the reunification of Italy and a very special dessert was needed. They were such an immediate success that local confectioners in Prato began making and stocking them and, while they are traditionally made for special occasions, Easter and Christmas, you will be able to find them in local bakeries all throughout the year today.
The recipe for the bun itself isn't actually that difficult but it does take quite a bit of time but, while you're holidaying you'll have plenty of that! So, if you want to bake a local favourite while in Prato, just follow this recipe (derived from one published on Visit Tuscany).
Ingredients:
For the custard:
350g of milk
150g of cream
140g of sugar
40g of flour
6 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
1/2 a vanilla pod
Lemon zest
For the buns:
1kg of plain flour
240g of sugar
140g of butter
10 eggs
35g of yeast
40g of acacia honey
20g of brewer’s yeast
Vanilla pods
70ml of water
A pinch of salt
For the Alkermes syrup;
80ml of water
120g of sugar
60ml of Alkermes
Method:
1. To make the custard mix the milk, cream, the pulp of a vanilla pod and the lemon zest and leave in a fridge overnight.
2. Then, the next day, sift the flour with half of the sugar and salt and place everything in a pot.
3. Heat the milk mixture and gradually add the remaining sugar.
4. When hot, start adding 100g of the mixture to the pot of the flour, sugar and salt. Then add the egg yolks and beat with a whisk until smooth.
5. Once the remainder is boiling, filter it from the lemon zest and add to the rest. Put is on the stove and whisk until creamy. Cool in a cold bain-marie and stir often.
6. Now onto the buns!
7. Knead 45g of flour, 2 eggs, 60g of sugar, all the yeast, 60g of butter and the water. Leave it to rise until the volume is tripled, this should take about 90 minutes.
8. Then mix the remaining ingredients and the vanilla pod pulp and add to the risen dough. Knead until elastic. Leave to rise for another 90 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
9. Weigh 100g of the dough and make a loaf, break it into around 8 pieces and form small balls. Place onto a greased baking sheet and, after ten minutes, flatten each one by hand.
10. Leave to rise for 4-5 hours and then cook for 6-7 minutes.
11. To make the syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, turn off and set aside for a few minutes then add the Alkermes and mix it together.
12. Carve out the flat surface of the brioche with a knife and then soak the pieces in the warm syrup.
Fill the brioche holes with cream, pair the halves, roll in sugar and decorate with a mint leaf.
And you're done! If that seems like far too much work, maybe just pick one up while wandering around Prato...
Ingredients:
For the custard:
350g of milk
150g of cream
140g of sugar
40g of flour
6 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
1/2 a vanilla pod
Lemon zest
For the buns:
1kg of plain flour
240g of sugar
140g of butter
10 eggs
35g of yeast
40g of acacia honey
20g of brewer’s yeast
Vanilla pods
70ml of water
A pinch of salt
For the Alkermes syrup;
80ml of water
120g of sugar
60ml of Alkermes
Method:
1. To make the custard mix the milk, cream, the pulp of a vanilla pod and the lemon zest and leave in a fridge overnight.
2. Then, the next day, sift the flour with half of the sugar and salt and place everything in a pot.
3. Heat the milk mixture and gradually add the remaining sugar.
4. When hot, start adding 100g of the mixture to the pot of the flour, sugar and salt. Then add the egg yolks and beat with a whisk until smooth.
5. Once the remainder is boiling, filter it from the lemon zest and add to the rest. Put is on the stove and whisk until creamy. Cool in a cold bain-marie and stir often.
6. Now onto the buns!
7. Knead 45g of flour, 2 eggs, 60g of sugar, all the yeast, 60g of butter and the water. Leave it to rise until the volume is tripled, this should take about 90 minutes.
8. Then mix the remaining ingredients and the vanilla pod pulp and add to the risen dough. Knead until elastic. Leave to rise for another 90 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
9. Weigh 100g of the dough and make a loaf, break it into around 8 pieces and form small balls. Place onto a greased baking sheet and, after ten minutes, flatten each one by hand.
10. Leave to rise for 4-5 hours and then cook for 6-7 minutes.
11. To make the syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, turn off and set aside for a few minutes then add the Alkermes and mix it together.
12. Carve out the flat surface of the brioche with a knife and then soak the pieces in the warm syrup.
Fill the brioche holes with cream, pair the halves, roll in sugar and decorate with a mint leaf.
And you're done! If that seems like far too much work, maybe just pick one up while wandering around Prato...
