Cucidati Sicilian Fig Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Directions:.
• Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Run the blade a few times to mix.
• Add the butter to the bowl and pulse to combine. Add the eggs, and run the blade until forming a consistent dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and wrap in a plastic foil. Place in the refrigerator.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the figs, raisins, candied orange, almonds, chocolate, apricot preserve, rum, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse the blade until a smooth compound is obtained.
• Transfer the fig paste to a bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
• Prepare the egg wash by beating the eggs with a pinch of salt.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and unwrap it on a floured work surface. Add a small quantity of flour. Knead the dough to make it soft and smooth.
• Cut the dough into 10 - 12 pieces. With the help of a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a rectangle approximately 3 x 15 inch (7 x 35 cm).
• Brush the egg wash on the dough.
• Place approximately 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the rectangle lengthwise.
• Take one edge of the dough and bring it over the filling to form a roll.
• With the palm of your hands roll the cylinder to make it even.
• Cut the roll into 4-5 pieces approximately 3 - 4 inch (8 - 10 cm) long. Set them aside. Continue forming the rolls until all the dough and the filling are used.
• Using a sharp knife, cut 4 - 5 diagonal incisions on the surface of the rolls. You can also cut straight incisions on the surface of the rolls, and curve the cookies in a "U" shape.
• Transfer the rolls to 3 cookie pans lined with parchment paper.
• Brush the surface with the remaining egg wash.
• Optionally sprinkle with multicolored nonpareil.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer onto racks to cool.

Steps:

• Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Set aside., In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into 4 portions; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour., Roll out each portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 16-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Spread 1 cup filling lengthwise down the center of each. Starting at a long side, fold dough over filling; fold the other side over the top. Pinch seams and edges to seal. Cut each rectangle diagonally into 1-in. strips. Place seam side down on parchment-lined baking sheets. , Bake at 400° for 10-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• For cookie dough, sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
• Add sugar and stir well.
• Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender and work the mixture until it looks like corn meal.
• In a bowl, beat egg, vanilla and milk together.
• Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes until well blended; dough will be soft.
• (The original recipe says to knead the mixture for 5 minutes on a floured surface, but I find my Kitchen-Aid works great for this step!) Divide the dough into four pieces and wrap each piece with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate dough for 45 minutes.
• To make the filling, grind figs, dates and raisins in a food processor until coarse.
• (If you don't have a food processor, you can chop by hand until coarse) Place chopped figs, dates and raisins in a bowl.
• Add remaining filling ingredients and mix well.
• (Mixture will be thick) Set aside mixture.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Work with one piece of dough at a time, leaving the other pieces of dough in the refrigerator until needed.
• On a floured surface (I often use confectioner's sugar for rolling my dough), roll the dough to a 12-inch square.
• Cut dough into 2X3-inch rectangles.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling onto each rectangle.
• Carefully fold the long edges over to meet in the center and pinch to seal seam.
• Place each cookie, seam side down, on a baking sheet, making sure you leave at least 1-2 inches between each cookie.
• Make 2 or 3 diagonal slits on the top of each cookie with a sharp knife.
• Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are golden in color.
• Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
• For icing, place confectioner's sugar in a bowl.
• Add just a little water or milk, until you get a smooth consistency- but not runny!
• Ice the tops of each cookie and sprinkle with colored sprinkle.
• Let icing dry completely before stacking!
• Store in air-tight containers up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Prepare filling: Working in two batches with ½ of the figs and ½ of the dates at a time, pulse dried fruit in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl.
• Use a vegetable peeler to peel orange zest into the empty food processer. Juice the orange until you have 3 tablespoons juice; add it to the food processor. Add raisins, pecans, honey, brandy, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and process until finely mixed.
• Add fig-date mixture and process until well combined, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to reach a thick consistency. Refrigerate filling for 8 hours to overnight.
• Prepare dough: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until crumbly. Add milk, egg, vanilla, and almond extract and process until a dough forms.
• Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and cut into 4 pieces. Roll one piece into a 4x12-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Trim off any excess to form straight edges and save to make more cookies.
• Place about ¼ of the filling in a 1-inch log shape down the rectangle, just to the right of the center line. Dampen the edges of the dough with water and fold the right edge over the filling. Continue rolling the dough toward the left edge, then rock back and forth gently to stretch and seal the edges. Cut the log into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Make 2 or 3 slits in the top of each cookie to allow steam to escape. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden on the bottom and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Repeat to form, cut, and bake remaining cookies.
• Prepare icing by whisking powdered sugar and milk together in a bowl until smooth. Divide icing into thirds in 3 small bowls. Color one bowl with red food coloring to make pink icing, color another bowl with green food coloring to make green icing, and leave the remaining icing white.
• Dip each cookie into a different color icing and allow excess to drip off. Place iced cookies on parchment paper and decorate lightly with sprinkles. Allow to dry for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• To make Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir into a smooth dough. Remove dough from bowl and shape into a circle. Cut into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic and chill.
• To make the Filling: Use the zest and juice of the orange and place in large bowl. Mix in figs, raisins and nuts. Process in food processor until evenly chopped. Stir in honey, rum and cinnamon, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 8-inch wide strip about 1/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise in half, forming two long strips, each about 4 inches wide. Lay strips on work surface. Brush top inch of each with cold water. About 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the dough, place 1/4 of the filling in a 1-inch wide strip, running from end to end. Fold the moistened edge of the dough over the filling and press to seal edges. Cut each strip into 1-inch rectangles and place on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining sections of dough.
• Bake 13 to 16 minutes, or until tops are golden. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks.