Enjoy the rich flavors of traditional Italian holiday baking with this delicious and authentic cuccidati recipe, perfect for sharing sweet, spiced fig-filled cookies with family and friends.
7ouncesUnsalted buttercold and cut into cubes. This is about 1 ¾ sticks of butter.
Fig Filling
1 ¼cupsDried figs
⅓cupsAlmonds
½cupWalnuts
⅓cupHoney
1tablespoonOrange zest
2teaspoonCinnamon
½teaspoonCocoa powder
Egg wash
1Large eggbeaten
Icing
½cupPowdered sugar
1-2tablespoonWater
nonpareils
Instructions
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.
2 cups All purpose flour, ½ cup Sugar, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 7 ounces Unsalted butter
Now add the beaten eggs and pulse until it starts to come together.
2 Large eggs
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.
Fig Filling
Cut off the rough stem tips of the figs then place in a large bowl.
1 ¼ cups Dried figs
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.
⅓ cups Almonds, ½ cup Walnuts, ⅓ cup Honey, 1 tablespoon Orange zest, 2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Cocoa powder
Making the Cookies
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.
Divide the fig 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 length as the dough you rolled.
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 fig 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.
1 Large egg
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 the area on both sides of the log, 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.
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 by cutting 1 to 2 slits about half way through the sides. This is optional but pretty.
Place them seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently press them down.
Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough and filling.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until just lightly brown.
Cool completely on a cooling rack.
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 sprinkles on top.
½ cup Powdered sugar, nonpareils, 1-2 tablespoon Water