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Baked Peaches with Cocoa and Biscuit Filling (Pesche Ripiene alla Piemontese)

Baked peaches with cocoa and biscuit filling are a super easy, yet impressive dessert that can be made in no time.

baked peach on a plate

These baked peaches are so simple to make, you don’t even need to measure anything. Of course, I’ll give you rough measurements, but they’re not too important.

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I learned this recipe at an cooking school in Turin, Italy.

Italian style baked peaches on plates

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You can have them prepped and ready to go into the oven in just minutes, but the result is like something that took some real effort!

Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits ready to bake

As you may recall, I took a cooking class when I was in Turin a few weeks ago. It was held at Qubi by Chef Marco Giachello and Margherita Frari. While Chef Margherita taught us how to make a wonderful green sauce serve on top of softened Tomino cheese, Chef Marco taught us how to make these Italian style baked peaches. He had a great sense of humor, as you can see in this little clip!

Chef Marco Giachello making baked stuffed Italian peaches in Turin

I must admit, I didn’t love the flavor of the filling when I tasted the peaches in Turin, but I knew I wouldn’t, simply because I don’t like amaretti biscuits. The traditional Piedmontese filling is made with almond flavored amaretti biscuits.

Got lots of stone fruit? Try this apricot cake next time you have some to bake!

slice of apricot cake

I’ve now made the Italian style baked peaches in my own kitchen and chose to use ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi). Oh boy, what a difference! I loved this version, but if you love Amaretti, please use those as that is truly what should be used in the original recipe.

How to make Italian Style Baked Peaches

collage of making baked peaches in Turin
Photos from the cooking class at Qubi in Turin, Italy

As I stated earlier, Marco told us that the amount of the ingredients is not critical, so this is a perfect recipe for a beginner cook, but flavorful enough to impress the most critical palate. However, you may tire of hearing me say this, but the quality of the ingredients are always critical in a recipe.

Perugina cocoa for Italian baked peaches recipe

For example, the cocoa flavor is predominant in the filling, so please don’t use Hershey’s. If you don’t have a store near you that carries a better quality unsweetened cocoa, you can always resort to Amazon. I used Perugina, as it’s an Italian recipe, however, I mostly use this fantastic Barry cocoa from Amazon in other recipes. It will completely raise the bar in anything you use it in.

Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits ready to bake

If you are looking for more peach creations, don’t miss this great collection I put together of delicious peach recipes using fresh, canned or frozen fruit!

fresh peaches

 Baked Peaches with
Biscuit and Cocoa Filling

 adapted from Marco Giachello’s recipe              serves 8

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

  • ripe, freestone peaches
  • ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi) or Amaretti
  • sugar
  • unsweetened cocoa powder
  •  dark rum (or other liqueur)
  • egg
  • butter
  • Demerara sugar/Sugar in the Raw 

Heat oven to 360 F (180 C)

Directions for Baked Peaches

Line a small tray with aluminum foil to ease clean up.

Cut the peaches in half, following the natural line that divides them. Twist them in half and remove the pit. Cut a little off the bottom of each half of the peaches so that they can sit flat on the tray and serving plate.

preparing a peach

Put the pieces of peach that have been cut off into a small ramekin.

Using a small spoon or melon baller (I used a measuring spoon – teaspoon size), scoop out the center of each peach half and add the scooped flesh to the ramekin. Chop up the peaches in the ramekin into tiny pieces.

removing pits
Move the peach halves to the lined tray.

fruit halves ready to be filled

In a medium bowl, crush the savoiardi (or amaretti) until they are in small pieces. However, do not over crush them into tiny crumbs.

crushing savoiardi biscuits

Add the chopped peach flesh, cocoa, sugar, rum, egg and stir until well combined.

adding rum to mixture

Fill each peach half evenly with the filling. Make sure to mound the filling onto the peaches so that the mixture doesn’t just fill the scooped out space, but sits on top, too.

Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits

Put a tiny dot of butter on top of the filling on each peach, then sprinkle with the Demerara or raw sugar.

Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits ready for the oven

Place into the oven in the middle shelf and bake for 20 to 30 minutes (shorter for firmer peaches, longer for softer peaches).

Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits ready for the oven

Remove the baked peaches when ready, and serve hot, warm or cold, preferably with a glass of dessert wine.

If you’d like to serve them as Chef Margherita did, place a fork on the plate and dust with cocoa powder, then remove the fork. You can also sprinkle some biscuit crumbs on the peach halves, if you like.

half eaten Italian style baked peaches filled with cocoa and biscuits

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italian style baked peach half

Italian Style Baked Peaches with Biscuit and Cocoa Filling (Pesche Ripiene alla Piemontese)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Italian style baked peached peaches are quick and easy, light dessert that's perfect for a summer evening.

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe, freestone peaches
  • 5 ladyfinger biscuits (the Savoiardi kind)
  • 3 tsp sugar, white
  • 2 tbsp dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp dark rum (or other liqueur)
  • 1 egg
  • pat of butter
  • Demerara sugar/Sugar in the Raw (or just white sugar)

Instructions

Heat oven to 360 F (180 C)

  1. Line a small tray with aluminum foil to ease clean up.
  2. Cut the peaches in half, following the natural line that divides them. Twist them in half and remove the pit. Cut a little off the bottom of each half of the peaches so that they can sit flat on the tray and serving plate. Put the pieces of peach that have been cut off into a small ramekin.
  3. Using a small spoon (I used a measuring spoon - teaspoon size), scoop out the center of each peach half and add the scooped flesh to the ramekin. Chop up the peaches in the ramekin into tiny pieces.
  4. In a medium bowl, crush the Savoiardi (or Amaretti) until they are in small pieces. Do not over crush them into crumbs.
  5. Add the chopped peach flesh, cocoa, 3 tsp sugar, rum, egg and stir until well combined.
  6. Fill each peach half evenly with the filling. Overfill the peaches so that the mixture doesn't just fill the scooped out space, but sits on top, too.
  7. Put a tiny dot of butter on top of the filling on each peach, then sprinkle with the Demerara or raw sugar.
  8. Place into the oven in the middle shelf and bake for 20 to 30 minutes (shorter for firmer peaches, longer for softer peaches). Remove from oven when ready and serve hot, warm or cold, preferably with a glass of dessert wine.

Notes

Use good quality ingredients for best results.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/2 peach
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 125Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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For more information on cooking classes at Qubi Torino.

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27 Comments

  1. Good morning Christina,
    I have so many peaches in my fridge right now, and this recipe sounds decadent!
    I don’t have any amaretti or Savoiardi cookies, but I do have the Italian tea cookies ( Santa Maria ). Would these be okay to use instead or do they have to be a soft cookie?
    Anxiously waiting your reply!
    Thanks,
    Luisa from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

    P.S. Is one of your aunts still living in Maple, near Canada’s Wonderland? My son bought the whole family ( the 7 of us), season passes! We’ve been there already 5 times, since the weather here for the last few weeks has been so very, very hot and humid, over 35 Celsius with the humidity. I’m sure your aunt and other relatives have told you how uncomfortable it has been! Is California just as humid and scorching? The splash works area has been a God send to cool off and swim! Do you plan on visiting soon? Make sue you stop by, since we are only about a 10 minute drive!
    Have a great Tuesday! Enjoy your day!
    Ciao cara mia!

    1. Hi Luisa, yes, I think those tea cookies would work too as the liquid moistens whatever cookie you use. Let me know how it goes.

      Yes, my Zia Franca still lives in Richmond Hill. I know exactly where Wonderland is! Lucky you, the splash works area would be perfect for us right now, too as it’s unbearably hot! Don’t know when I’ll be in Toronto next, but thank you! Enjoy your summer! CC

  2. Well, naturally I love this recipe! I have one from a friend who has a winery in Montalcino – it is probably the old-fashioned version of the one you learned in Turin. Instead of the amaretti cookies, it uses the kernel inside the peach pit as the flavoring. I’m sure you know that this kernel is the reason you dislike the flavor of amaretti! ? Thanks for sharing your recipe, as always, and I’ll give it a try soon! xo