Italian Cuccidati (Fig Cookies)

Part of my heritage is from Italian decent, and my baking always represents a link to my culture. My Italian grandmother, Mary, baked biscotti, wine cookies (ciambelle al vino) and pizzelles. I don’t recall her making these fig cookies and I didn’t start making them until after she passed away. I think she would have been very pleased to know I added this one to my cookie repertoire! There’s a little effort involved in making the filling, rolling out the strips of dough, adding just enough filling and cutting the cookies, but they are worth the effort, and with a little practice, you will be making these just as well as an Italian nonna!

Dough:

• 5 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 pound shortening (I use margarine)
• 1/2 pound butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix together all dry ingredients. Work in butter and shortening using a stand mixer. After all the shortening is worked into the dough, add eggs and vanilla and knead dough until smooth in the mixer. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour (or overnight.)

Filling:

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 pound dates, pitted
• 1 pound figs (I like to use black mission figs)
• 1 orange (including skin)
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 pound walnuts, chopped finely
• 3 Tbsp. honey

Grind together the first five ingredients in a food processor. Then add the chopped nuts and cinnamon and mix well. Then add the honey and incorporate.

Roll out a strip of dough approximately three inches wide and 12 inches long between two sheets of floured wax paper. Put approximately one inch strip of fig filling down the center of the dough. Use the wax paper to roll the dough over the filling. Lay the seam side down and cut into approximately one inch pieces. I like to use a cutter with a crinkled, wavy edge to make my cuts a little fancy.

Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on the cookies to ensure they bottoms do not burn. Remove to a cooling rack. When cooled, frost cookies with the following icing.

Icing:

Mix about 2 cups of confectionary sugar with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and enough water to make a thin icing. Dip tops of cookies in icing or brush with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with multi-colored nonpareils sprinkles. Let icing dry before serving or storing. Store in sealed container to maintain freshness.