Cucidate - Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies
An Italian Christmas Cookie from Sicily made with figs, dried fruit, liquor, nuts.
Servings: 36
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.