Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies) Recipe

Traditional Italian Fig Cookies with a glaze and sprinkles are cuccidati. These cookies are usually offered at Christmas but wonderful year-round!

Fig Filling – 14 ounces dried fig – 1 cup raisins (130 grams) – 1 cup almonds (145 grams) – 1 cup walnuts (110 grams) – ½ cup honey – ¼ cup liqueur (such as brandy, bourbon, or marsala) – 1 tablespoon orange zest – 1 teaspoon cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon ground clove Pastry Dough – 3 ½ cups flour (440 grams) – ¾ cup granulated sugar – 2 teaspoon baking powder – ½ teaspoon salt – 1 cup cold butter, cubed (2 sticks, unsalted) – 2 large egg Glaze – 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (168 grams) – 3 tablespoons milk (2% or whole) – sprinkle

Ingredient

Direction

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1

Add dried figs, raisins, almonds, and walnuts to a blade-attached food processor. Pulse to dice finely.

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2

Now add honey, brandy, orange zest, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Pulse to thicken paste. Skip food processor. Cover and chill before use. Clean and dry the food processor.

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3

Mix flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor bowl using the blade attachment. Pulse to mix ingredients.

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4

Add cold cubed butter and eggs to the food processor. Combine ingredients and pulse until dough forms.

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5

Divide the dough into two equal pieces on a lightly floured surface. Wrap each portion lightly in plastic wrap and press to form a disc. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

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6

Turn on oven to 350 before baking cookies. Bakesheet paper. Remove cooled dough from refrigerator. Each dough disk yields 4 equal pieces. Wrap and chill three dough pieces.

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7

Transfer dough to lightly floured parchment or plastic wrap. Paper or plastic wrap dough. A rolling pin should roll the dough 5x14 inches. Take off dough wrap. 

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Next, divide the fig filling into 4 equal portions. Hand-form one part of the filling into a long log to cover the dough rectangle. For rolling, put the filling near the bottom of the dough. 

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Wet the opposite end of the dough with water. Press lightly to close the dough log seam after rolling the fig mix into it.

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Cut the log into 1-inch pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Reuse dough and filling.

In preheated oven, bake cookies on center rack for 15 minutes until bottom edges are golden brown. After baking, let pan cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

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Also See

Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe