Delicious Sicilian Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies) Recipe
Prep Time:
3 hours, 10 minutes
Cook Time:
50 minutes
Servings:
90 Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole raw almonds
  • 1½ cups raw walnut halves
  • 12 ounces dried figs
  • 5 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup packed raisins
  • 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup apricot, peach, or orange jam
  • 2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine or honey
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 teaspoons baker's ammonia
  • ¾ cup 2% milk
  • 2.2 pounds (about 8 cups) 00 flour
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 20 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1¾ cup sugar
  • Grated zest from 1 organic orange
  • 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Color sprinkles
Directions
  1. Place all the nuts in a large dry skillet on medium and toast, shaking the pan or stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
  2. Boil a medium pot of water and immediately pour the water into a heat-safe bowl.
  3. Place the figs in the water and let them soak for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the baker's ammonia to the milk, stir, and let it dissolve. Set aside.
  5. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix quickly with a fork.
  6. Add the butter and pinch it into the flour with your fingers until the butter is broken up into small pieces and coated in flour and the mixture is crumbly.
  7. Add the sugar and orange zest to the bowl and mix with a fork.
  8. Add the egg and egg yolks and mix them into the flour with a fork until the mixture forms large crumbly pieces.
  9. Add the milk and vanilla and mix with your hands until the dough starts to stick together and form large, soft pieces.
  10. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Press and knead it to form a smooth ball. Be patient as your hands' heat melts the butter and helps it stick together. Add milk a teaspoon at a time if it's still crumbly after a couple minutes.
  11. Cut the dough in half. Reshape one piece into a flattened ball and the other into a flattened rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  12. Drain the figs well, remove the stems, and cut the figs into large pieces.
  13. Place the figs in a food processor and process until they form a paste. Transfer the figs to a large bowl.
  14. Place the nuts in the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
  15. Add the dark chocolate and pulse until the nuts and chocolate are broken down into small pieces. Transfer them to the bowl with the figs.
  16. Add the raisins, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, jam, Marsala, and salt to the bowl and mix until the mixture is thick but soft and moist. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  17. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  18. Roll out the round piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until it's slightly less than ¼ inch thick.
  19. Cut out discs with a round cookie cutter with a diameter of about 2½ inches.
  20. Place a spoonful of filling (about 1½ teaspoons) in the center of each disc.
  21. Fold the discs in half and pinch the edges firmly to seal them. Roll the scraps into a flattened ball and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out and make additional cookies.
  22. Leave half of the sealed discs as is and score the curved edges of the other half with scissors. Set the cookies aside on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
  23. Bake for 16-19 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  24. Meanwhile, cut the rectangular piece of dough in half. Roll one half into a long, thin rectangle.
  25. Spoon filling along the center of the dough lengthwise .
  26. Trim the 2 short edges even with the filling and trim one long edge into a straight line.
  27. Starting with the untrimmed edge, fold up the 2 long sides of the dough to cover the filling, overlapping and pressing the edges to seal them. Turn the piece upside down and lightly roll it under your hands to further seal the seam.
  28. Slice the filled dough into 1-1¼-inch pieces and place the pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Prepare the second rectangular piece in the same way.
  29. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  30. Lower the oven to 275 F.
  31. Place the powdered sugar, salt, and egg white in a medium bowl and mix with a fork.
  32. Add the lemon juice and stir with a fork until a dense icing forms. Add a very small amount of water (about a teaspoon) if needed.
  33. Dip one cookie at a time upside down into the icing to coat the top. Let them drip before placing them back on the baking sheet right side up.
  34. Bake for about 5 minutes until the icing dries. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  35. Brush the top of each cookie with a small amount of water and top with colored sprinkles.
  36. Serve and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.