cuccidati

Shortbread pastry dough stuffed with soft, fragrant mix of dried figs, nuts, chocolate, candied fruit and a hint of cinnamon is what makes cuccidati cookies unforgettable from the first bite.

Cuccidati - Italian Fig Cookies

flour (, approx 480 g)

sugar (, approx 150 g)

oz butter (, approx 170 g)

tbsp baking powder

eggs

tbsp vanilla extract

salt

milk (, if needed)

oz dried figs (, approx 500 g)

orange lemon

tbsp Marsala wine

raisins (, approx 85 g)

chocolate

walnuts ((more to taste))

almonds ((more to taste))

cinnamon powder

confectioners sugar (, approx 110 g)

lemon juice

Color sprinkles

In a large bowl of food processor add all dry ingredients: sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cold butter cut in cubes. Process until you get a crumbly dough without big lumps.

Add eggs and vanilla extract. Process again until dough starts to come together.

The whole process can be done with dough blender which is really handy.

Transfer the dough onto a work surface and shape it quickly with your hands forming a smooth ball. Add some milk if the dough doesn’t come together.

Cover with a plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

You can also make the dough the night before and keep it in the fridge. Make sure to take it out at least 2 hours before making cooking, otherwise it’ll be too hard to roll.

Cuccidati Dough:

Steep dried figs in hot water for about 30 minutes. Take them out on a paper towel or linen towel and pat-dry to remove excess liquid.

In a food processor add figs, candied fruit and Marsala wine. Process until you get a nice paste.

In a food processor pulse nuts and dark chocolate. Or you can roughly chop them with a sharp knife. Set aside.

In a big bowl mix together fig paste, chopped nuts with chocolate, raisins and cinnamon.

Cuccidati Filling:

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to approx. ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out a rectangular shape and save trimmed edges.

Place fig filling lengthwise closer to one edge of the rectangle and fold the dough over to the other side brushing with some water the very end of the dough before closing it. This helps to seal the seam.

Place formed log seam side down and using a pastry cutter or a sharp floured knife cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cookies.

Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet line with parchment paper or a silicone mat about ½ inch apart from each other.

Bake in preheated to 350F (175C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

Let cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough (including trimmed dough leftovers) and fig filling.

Make Cookies:

Beat egg white until foamy, add a pinch of salt and lemon juice.

Continue to beat, slowly adding confectioners sugar. Increase speed to high and beat for another few minutes until soft peaks form.

Make Icing:

Once cookies are chilled to room temperature, dip them in the icing and top with color sprinkles.

Let dry for a few hours before packing.

If it’s too cold or humid inside you can turn on the oven and heat to 85F (30C) and let your cookies dry in the oven for 20-60 minutes, checking on them occasionally.

Decorate Cookies:

These cookies are traditional Italian made during the Christmas season. Called Cuccidati, or Italian fig cookies, represent a delicious treat!

Italian Fig Cookies Recipe (Cuccidati Cookies)

unsalted butter (softened)

all-purpose flour

sugar

baking powder

milk

vanilla

confectioner's sugar

lemon juice (fresh)

nonpareils (colored sprinkles)

figs

raisins

dates (optional)

walnuts

almonds

honey

orange marmalade

cinnamon

nutmeg

chocolate chips

brandy

lemon (orange zest)

Italian fig cookies recipe (Cuccidati Cookies)

For your Italian fig cookies filling, combine the raisins, dates, and figs and put them in a food processor to be finely chopped.

Add the chopped walnuts, almonds, and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Put the marmalade, honey, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and wine. Mix well in a bowl.

Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.

To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add the softened butter, and then the egg, milk and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are well-combined.

Take the dough and put it in a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough in half, put them in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cover 2 large baking dish with baking paper or lightly grease them. Set aside.

On the work table, sprinkle flour on the surface so the dough doesn't stick when you work on it.

Take one quarter of the dough and roll it into a square that measures about 12 inches. Then cut the dough into rectangles that approximately measures 4 by 3 inches.

Take the filling out the refrigerator. Put 2 spoonful of filling at the center of each rectangle.

Fold close each dough lengthwise, one side a little on top of each other and pinch close each end to seal the dough.

Turn the filled doughs to make the seams face downward, and carefully flatten each dough a little.

Sprinkle some flour on a knife and using that, cut the dough crosswise, about 1-inch wide pieces. Do this for all the filled Italian fig cookies dough.

Now, on to baking the cookies. Arrange the dough pieces at least half an inch apart on the baking pan, and bake for about 15 to twenty minutes, or until golden brown. When the cookies are done, remove from the oven and put on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, mix the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix well until it has a smooth consistency. But make sure it's not runny.

Brush icing or pour a teaspoon or so of it on top of each cookie and then sprinkle some of the nonpareils on top of that. Let the cookies completely dry before stacking.

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Italian Fig Cookies Recipe (Cuccida...

Top 2 cuccidati recipes from across the web

The most viewed cuccidati recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Cuccidati - Italian Fig Cookies

Italian Fig Cookies Recipe (Cuccida...

The most viewed cuccidati recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine