Sicilian Fig Cookies - Sweet Christmas Gift Idea

Traditional Italian Holiday Cookies with Spiced Fig Filling

© Liliana Tommasini

Nov 23, 2008

This traditional holiday family Sicilian recipe for fig cookies also known as Italian Fig Cookies or Cucidati adorn the holiday cookie tray each year. To make sure there are enough cucidati for everyone and for holiday gift-giving, the recipe is usually doubled or tripled.

Sicilian Fig Filled Cookies Recipe

Serving: 48 cookies

Ingredients for Dough

• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest or lemon zest
• 1 ¼ cups butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/3 cups cold water
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash.

Ingredients for Fig Filling

• 3 cups dried figs, stems removed
• 3 cups seedless raisins
• 2 cups toasted almonds
• 2 cups toasted walnuts (or 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest and/or lemon zest
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• icing sugar for sprinkling
• multi-coloured sprinkles

Variations:

• Add ¼ cup chocolate or coffee liqueur to fig filling or
• Add 2 tablespoons cocoa to fig filling

How to Make the Dough

1. In bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, combine 4 ¼ cups of the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and orange zest.
2. Pulse to mix.
3. Cut butter in cubes; add to flour mixture and pulse to blend until butter resembles the size of peas.
4. Add water gradually and mix until ingredients hold together. If sticky, add remaining flour.
5. Remove dough from food processor bowl and place on a lightly floured board.
6. Knead dough for a few minutes until dough is smooth. Divide in two and shape each piece into a disc.
7. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the spiced fig filling.

How to Make the Fig Filling

1. Combine the figs, raisins and nuts in bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade.
2. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
3. Add the honey, orange juice, zests, cinnamon and add on ingredients to the fig mixture.
4. Pulse until well combined.
5. Remove fig mixture from food processor bowl and place in medium sized bowl.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Please Note: Dough and fig filling may be refrigerated for up to two days before using.

Shape Spiced and Bake Fig Filled CookiesPreheat oven to 350° F.

Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1. Bring dough to room temperature and cut each disc into 4 pieces.
2. On a lightly floured board, roll out one piece of dough to form a rectangle (approx 12 by4 inches).
3. Divide filling into eight pieces.
4. * Spoon filling along the center length of each rectangle. Fold one side over filling and fold the other side to overlap.
5. Place seam side down on prepared cookie sheet.
6. Place 2 fig logs at a time on cookie sheets. *
7. Repeat from * to * with remaining dough pieces.
8. Brush top of logs with egg wash.
9. Sprinkle with multi-coloured sprinkles.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
11. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes.
12. Remove logs and place on cutting board.
13. Cut each log into 12 slices.

How to Store Cookies

Store sliced fig cookies between layers of parchment or wax paper in cookie tins or airtight container.

More Holiday Gift-GIving Recipes:

Fig and Walnut Mini Loaves - A Holiday Treat

Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes

Cranberry Almond Lemon Biscotti

Sicilian Fig Cookies

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