Cuccidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies)
Ingredients
For the filling:
3 pounds total of dried figs and dates
1 pound raisins
1 pound nuts
a few squares of dark chocolate, if desired
zest of two oranges
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of cloves, if desired
¾ cup marsala wine or liqueur
For the dough:
¾ butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
Two eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3.5 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
For the frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Pulse the nuts in a food processor until they are the consistency of coarse sand. Place in a large, heavy pot. Then grind the figs, dates, and raisins, adding the dried fruit a little at a time to avoid overtaxing the food processor. Add the dried fruits to the pot along with the chocolate, if using, cinnamon, water, orange juice, marsala or liqueur, and orange zest. Stir the mixture to incorporate, cover the pot, and allow it to steam for a few minutes on medium-low heat, stirring it regularly to prevent it from scorching.
- While the filling is steaming prepare the dough. Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the sugar-butter mixture. Mix until a soft, smooth dough forms. It will only take a few minutes. Flour your work surface and then divide the dough into quarters. Take one piece of dough and shape it into a long rope. Roll it out to a thickness of about ⅛ inch. Once the fig filling has cooled, place it along the long edge of the dough in heaping spoonfuls. Fold the edge of the dough around the filling and roll it up, pressing lightly as you go. With a sharp knife, cut the cookies into the size desired, typically a little over one inch. You can also form the cuccidati into rings, making little incisions to allow the filling to vent.
- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 until slightly golden. Continue this process with the remaining dough and filling. When the cookies have cooled ice the cuccidati and apply nonpareils, if desired. To make the frosting, combine the sugar, vanilla, and milk and mix using a wire whisk until the frosting is silky and about the consistency of a thin batter.
- Watch the step-by-step video below:
Marianna Gatto is the executive director and cofounder of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA), a historian and author with more than a decade of experience in public history, non-profit leadership, museums, and education.
