Delicious And Authentic Cuccidati Recipe

What are cuccidati cookies?

Cuccidati cookies (pronounced- coo-chi-dah-tee) are like an elegant sophisticated Fig newton cookie that comes from Sicily (where Figs are abundant). They are an Italian pastry cookie since the dough of the cookies is made with pasta frolla which is a short crust pastry or basically a chewy pie crust 🙂 They are often adorned with a simple white powdered sugar icing and nonpareils and served at Christmas.

The filling of these delicious cookies are traditionally made with figs, nuts, honey, spices and nothing else! Some modern recipes now use other fruits like raisins, plums and dates but traditional cucidati are made only with figs. You may also see jams like peach or nectarine jam used in place of or in conjunction with honey.

You can add sweet marsala or rum to the fig filling or a touch of another liquor if you like but they aren't necessary. This recipe I spent lots of time researching and perfecting because while I enjoy eating these cookies, I did not grow up with them being made in my Italian family.

I turned to my Sicilian friends regarding their family's passed down recipes and they were very clear that this cookie should be made with just figs and no other fruits. Their exact words were, "this is a fig cookie not a mixed fruit cookie" :).

So this recipe is made with 100% fig, nuts and spices (filling recipe from my Italian friends), my family's pasta frolla recipe and another fellow Italian's method for shaping and rolling them. The end result is pure deliciousness and they will make you very popular if you bring them to a holiday gathering.

Ingredients You Will Need

Pasta Frolla

• All purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Kosher salt
• Baking powder

Fig Filling

• Dried figs: You can find these at any grocery store now.
• Orange zest: You can also use mandarins for this or lemon.
• Walnuts: You can use all walnuts in the filling and omit the almonds if you prefer.
• Almonds
• Honey: I prefer to use a mild honey like wildflower honey so the taste is not too strong.
• Cinnamon
• Cocoa Powder
• Kosher salt

Icing

• Powdered sugar
• Water
• Nonpareils: These are tiny round colored sprinkles and traditional. Try to find these and not regular sprinkles since those are too large.

How To Make Authentic Cuccidati

• Making the pasta frolla: Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a large food processor. Pulse until combined then add cold cubed butter and mix until well incorporated. Now add the beaten eggs and pulse until it starts to come together.
• Chill the dough: Remove the dough from the food processor then form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

• Make the fig filling: Cut off the rough stem tips of the figs then place in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the top and let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate the figs. Once this is done, drain then add the figs and the honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nuts to a food processor and mix until it forms a paste.

• Roll the dough: Grab the dough from the fridge and unwrap it. Knead it a couple times to bring it together. Now cut the dough into 4 sections. Refrigerate 3 of them while you work with one. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long x 4 inches wide.
• Roll the filling: Divide the filling into 4 sections now. Grab one of the sections and on a silpat or parchment paper placed on the counter, roll the filling into a log shape the same legnth as the dough you rolled.
• Shaping the cookies: Place the fig log in the center of the dough. Make an egg wash with one egg. Now fold one side of the dough over the filling. Brush the top of that side with egg wash. Now fold over the other side of dough on top of that and gently press to seal.
• Rolling the dough and filling together: Now that the filling is in the dough and it is sealed, it is time to roll the entire log. To do this, lightly flour your work surface, and gently roll the log back and forth making sure to roll with your hand all the way down to the ends of the log. This helps to tighten the log so the fig filling is in contact with the dough.

• Slice: You can slice these at a diagonal or just regular slices but make sure to slice them into 1 inch pieces. Now score the edges with a pairing knife cutting 1 to 2 slits about half way through the sides. This is optional but pretty.
• Baking: Place them seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Decorating In a large bowl add your powdered sugar a little water and mix until smooth. Spoon the icing on top of the cookies then add the nonparelles on top.

Tips for Making These Italian Fig Cookies

• Pasta Frolla: If this is your first time working with this Italian pastry dough, it can be a little fussy (sticky) when it comes to room temperature. Try to keep the dough chilled until you a ready to use it. If it becomes to warm and hard to work with, chill it instead of adding too much flour to prevent sticking which can dry out the dough.
• Sweetness level of the cookies: You can taste what the filling will taste like before baking these cookies by sampling a little bit right out of the food processor. If you want a little more sweetness, feel free to add more honey. Just remember that there is a little sugar in the pasta frolla and the icing that comes later.
• Swapping out ingredients: Feel free to use a sweet nectarine jam in place of the honey if you do not have honey. If you prefer to use all walnuts instead of a mix of almond and walnuts, go for it!
• Make this in stages: There are many parts to this and I don't want you getting fatigued 🙂 Make the dough and filling ahead of time if you can so when you are rolling and shaping the cookies, that is all you are doing in one day.

Cuccidati variations

Cuccidati refers to this particular shape of fig cookie but this exact recipe when cut up into different shapes will take on different names. This cookie is also called by different names depending on the different regions of Italy where they are made. Pucidati, Cucidati, Cuccidati, etc.

For the shapes, when the cookies are made into a circle shape that is then scored before baking, they are called buccellati (which means little bracelets in Italian). If the shape is a log that is scored at the ends like an X, then they are referred to as X cookies.

Same recipe, different shapes, and different names 🙂

Storage Tips

• Freezing: These freeze well and last for up to 2 months in the freezer. I prefer to freeze them without icing. When you are ready to enjoy them, let them thaw int he fridge overnight then add the icing and sprinkles.
• Refrigerating: You can refrigerate these cookies in an air tight container for up to one week.
• Counter storage: This is my preferred method for these cookies. I swear they just get better with age. I store them for up to one week on the counter in a room temperature house.
• Shipping, Transporting and Cookie Boxes: These are a holiday cookie and one that is great for sharing. You can add these to cookie boxes by placing them in mini or regular cupcake liners (depending on their size.) They ship very well too. I prefer to ship them without the icing and sprinkles since that can get shaken off in transport. Try to make sure when shipping these that they arrive within one week of making them.