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Home » Italian Recipes » Cucidati – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies

Cucidati – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies

December 21, 2021 by Angela Roberts 13 Comments

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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I originally wrote this post seven years ago. It’s such a wonderful Italian traditional cookie with flavors that scream Christmas, I wanted to bring it to you again.

Cucidate, little fig cookies, while appearing quite demure in appearance, hit the senses, as a true Christmas cookie,  first with an aroma of the dried fruits soaked in a liquor and then  ombined with nuts, cinnamon, and honey, wrapped in a delicate pastry.

Cucidate

Cucidate, the Italian Fig cookie from Sicily is a tribute to my grandfather.

Biaggio came to America twice before he actually decided to stay, and I can understand his trepidation to settle in the United States, after visiting his hometown some years ago.

As I walked around the village of Isnello outside of Palermo, I rested my eyes on one of the most beautiful mountain backdrops I’ve ever seen, while the ocean was only twenty minutes away.

Sicily is an earthy place of tradition, created by many visiting cultures over centuries of acquisition. 

The people are humble, and yet rich in a food culture that is probably the most flavorful and robust of Italian cuisine, much like their personalities. American television has done a great disservice to Sicilians, using hyperbole, stereotypes and the sensationalism of organized crime. Most Sicilians are victims of crime, are not murderers and are not one dimensional.

This is probably a little extra special for me, because my grandfather had a fig tree he treated like a bab. Right before he died, he kept talking about “her.” Yes, he had decided his fig tree was a she, and he was worried, that she needed to be covered up for the winter or in his words, “shessa gonna die.”

My grandfather was never part of any organized crime, so please scratch your ideas about the people of Sicily.  He was a kind soul who extended everyone who knocked on our door in for coffee. The family joke would be that we might find him serving coffee and cake to a burglar that tried to rob the house.

I found his warmth and patience compelling, especially contrasted with my grandmother who was an Italian diva, sometimes warm, and sometimes a little too sure of herself. They always seemed a mismatch, as she was born in America as a first generation Italian and exuded first class glamour. His kind would be referred to as “from the old country,” and that was considered a step down in status from first generation born.

She was divorced with a small child (my Aunt Rita of the stuffed shells legend) and yet could have had her pick of any man. How in the world my grandfather snatched her as a bride is quite stunning, and one of the good things that happened for me prior to my life.

They had a daughter, my mother (Retro Rose) who inherited more that Sicilian hospitality.   I can’t tell you how many times, I would visit her apartment and she was feeding the maintenance men. She’s making someone a pot of meatballs at least weekly. When I first gave her some of these cookies, her first words were “can you make these for one of the elders at church.” I emphatically said no, these are just for the family. This attitude needed to be adjusted. Her desire to give the elders these special cookies is what being Sicilian is all about.

Cucidate Make a Great Gift

I had to think about that because aren’t Christmas cookies something we make to give away, to show our love for others?  After researching  these cookies, I read many stories about how often these cucidate are given away as gifts, and it got me thinking that I should plan to make several batches.

These cucidate excude the heart of the Sicilian culture. The dough is sweet; the fig filling full of flavor and life, and they make the perfect Christmas cookie gift, because they hit the heart.

The Process for Cucidate, Italian Fig Cookies

  • Soak the raisin in bourbon for at least an hour.
  • Chop figs or use a fig jam.
  • Bring figs, dates (or dried plums/prumes) together with marmalade, honey and walnuts and process.
  • Allow this filling to be refrigerated overnight to meld the flavors.
  • Make pastry same day you make the filling and refrigerate overnight.
  • Take out one pastry roll at a time and roll out and cut in squares.
  • Fill and bake.
  • Top with glaze and Italian sprinkles.

Cucidate, Italian Fig Cookies

There are many ways to roll and fold the cookies. I did some in triangle, some folded over evenly. Some will turn the seam on the bottom, so you can’t see it. You can choose your own way.

Orange Glaze for Cucidate

I made an orange glaze and poured this over the cookies when hot, then sprinkled with these Italian cookie sprinkles I found in an Italian grocery store.

Cucidate Sicilian Fig Cookies by Angela Roberts

So tell me do you have a traditional cookie you like to give away as a gift? Have you ever had cucidati, the ultimate Sicilian fig cookie?

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  • Candied Lemon Pistachio Cantucci

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Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Cucidate – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies

An Italian Christmas Cookie from Sicily made with figs, dried fruit, liquor, nuts.
Prep Time1 d
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time1 d 15 mins
Course: Cookie
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 36
Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Fig Filling

  • 2 cups dried figs or 2 cups fig jam
  • 2 cups dried dates or dried plums
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup bourbon or Grand Marnier Cognac or Brandy
  • 1 cup almonds or walnuts chopped
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pastry

  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar I always cut my sugar. I used 2/3 cup sugar
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Glaze

  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice) I used juice of one satsuma.
  • small colored sprinkles

Instructions

Fig Filling

  • Soak Raisins in bourbon for an hour up to overnight.
  • Add to the rest of the ingredients.
  • Grind all ingredients in food processor or Vitamix. The mixture should be ground enough to spread in the cookie. I substituted fig jam for dried figs and dried plums for dates.
  • Refrigerate filling overnight.

Pastry

  • Mix flour, baking powder, sugar together.
  • Cut butter in. I used the Kitchen Aid Mixer. You could cut in with pastry blender or use a food processor also.
  • Beat eggs and milk to together. Reserve 1 tablespoon milk. You may not need it.
  • Add to flour mixture, and form a dough. Add the extra milk of it’s too dry.
  • Separate dough in 4 sections. Wrap each in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for one hour or overnight.

Glaze

  • Mix confectioner’s sugar with orange juice. Add water a little at a time, until you have a thin glaze.

Assembly

  • Work with one section of pastry dough at a time.
  • Roll each section into a tube. Divide into two sections to make it easier to work with.
  • Flatten out each tube. Put mixture in center. Pull sides up to reach. Cut into 1 1/2 inch cookies.
  • Bake at 375 Degrees F, 190 C. for 15 minutes.
  • Spoon glaze over each cookie. Top with sprinkles.

Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe,  please tag me #spinachtiger.

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo


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Filed Under: Christmas Recipes, Cookie Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Italian Recipes Tagged With: almonds, dried prunes, figs, flour, orange, raisins, sugar

« Keto Bagel Dogs
Italian Date Cookies with Sesame Seeds (Biscotti ai Datteri) »

 

Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe,  please tag me #spinachtiger.

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Comments

  1. Linda says

    December 15, 2019 at 9:49 am

    Could anyone give me a pronunciation for cucidati.

    Reply
    • Angela Roberts says

      December 19, 2019 at 7:57 am

      Cooch i da tee

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Guffanti says

    December 24, 2017 at 3:37 am

    My family to was from Italian/Sicilian descent. My Mother and Aunt used to make these and biscottis for Christmas. I remember them being a lot of work, this was long before food processors. My grandmother had a hand meat grinder that they use. ( I am in my seventies) and there were not many appliances to make things faster or easier.

    Reply
  3. Carolyn Havens says

    November 27, 2016 at 8:11 am

    Can these fig cookies be frozen?

    Reply
    • Angela Roberts says

      December 24, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Yes no problem.

      Reply
  4. Scarlet of Family Focus Blog says

    December 16, 2014 at 11:22 am

    Yum! These sound so good. Figs are delicious and the cute sprinkles will make them fun for the kids!

    Reply
    • Angela Roberts says

      December 16, 2014 at 11:41 am

      Thanks, Scarlett. It’s a first try and they came out so good.

      Reply
  5. Rosa says

    December 16, 2014 at 2:13 am

    Lovely cookies! That filling must taste amazing.

    Happy Holidays dear!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. My Italian Family Christmas Cookies with Some Bonus Holiday Sweets says:
    December 17, 2018 at 9:23 am

    […] Cucidate. Recipe Here. […]

    Reply
  2. Christmas Cookies & Bars From Around The World says:
    December 7, 2018 at 1:41 pm

    […] CUCIDATE – SICILIAN FIG CHRISTMAS COOKIES- by spinach tiger […]

    Reply
  3. Candied Lemon Pistachio Cantucci says:
    January 19, 2016 at 11:49 am

    […] Cucidati, a Sicilian Fig Cookie […]

    Reply
  4. Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts, an Amish Christmas Cookie with Video says:
    December 5, 2015 at 10:37 am

    […] Italian Cucidate (Italian Fig Cookie) […]

    Reply
  5. Italian Date Cookies with Sesame Seeds (Biscotti ai Datteri) from La Cucina Italiana Magazine says:
    December 21, 2014 at 4:58 pm

    […] This is not the date filled cookie called Cucidati, which is also a wonderful Sicilian cookie. I made that earlier in the week and you can find it here. […]

    Reply

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