Cucidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies)
During the winter, right around Christmas, it’s a tradition amongst many Sicilian families to get together and make certain types of cookies. Perhaps my favorite are the cucidati.
These tiny cookies are packed with flavor and always remind me of Christmastime. However, for such a small cookie the amount of effort involved in constructing them is very high. The prep process for these little guys is not something you can do casually in an hour or so for a late-night snack. It makes for a great afternoon activity and the more people you have, the more fun it can be- it’s the one time our idiom “too many cooks in the kitchen” seems to be untrue on a very literal level!
Cucidati are crescent-shaped cookies made with a light dough and filled with a spiced, fig filling. In our family, we love to use the flavors of clove and allspice with a hint of orange extract. We also use pecans to add the nuttiness. Many families use walnuts, but I’m convinced that the south rubbed off on us and we switched to the less bitter, and less expensive pecan! Some people also use dates in the mixture, but I prefer 100% mission figs for the filling.
Every family has their own recipe for cucidati. In my family there are two different methods for making these delicious cookies. I decided to blend the two and create my own recipe. This is partially due to necessity, most family recipes for cucidati make 100-200 cookies… which I do not need in my two-person household.
This recipe makes about 50 cookies with some extra dough to play around with. First-time cucidati makers will hopefully find this recipe useful because of the extra dough. It can be difficult to get the cookies looking pretty the first few times around. With this recipe though- you should be sure to be a little stingy with the filling. If you’re not prepared to be careful about doling out the filling- make double the filling recipe.
We ended up making an impromptu date-almond jam and made pinwheels with our excess dough. I will post that recipe later! (It’s here, it’s here! 🙂
A few additional notes: you’ll want a very large work space for these cookies, especially when constructing them. You’ll need a rolling pin as well as a sharp knife for cutting the characteristic slits in the top of the cookie.
When I get together with my aunt, grandmother, great-aunt, cousins, and mother, we use a pack of razor blades. However, this most recent time making them I just used my pocket knife and it worked out fine! You will also need a food processor to make the filling.
Also, I give a recipe for simple syrup to help break down and sweeten the figs- do not use all of the simple syrup, you will NOT need all of it. I will repeat this throughout the recipe, as a reminder.
Enjoy the cookies- and the experience of making them! 🙂
Cucidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies)
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup crisco
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 3/4 cup sugar for simple syrup
- 6 ounces dried mission figs
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3 teaspoons orange extract
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ~2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
Instructions
Make the dough.
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Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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Cube the crisco and mix it into the dry ingredients by hand until crumbly.
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Add in the eggs, milk, and vanilla until the dough comes together.
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Let the dough rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.
Make the filling.
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Make a simple syrup. Combine the sugar with one cup of water and boil until sugar is dissolved.
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De-stem and quarter the figs.
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Combine the figs and pecans in a food processor and blend until it forms a loose paste or crumble.
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Pour into a bowl and add in the spices and orange extract.
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Add in simple syrup, a bit at a time. You will likely only use 1/4 cup. Do NOT use too much. Add a tablespoon or two at a time until the mixture is a bit thicker than a cheese spread in its consistency.
Construct the cookies.
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Lay down a large sheet of parchment paper and place on top of it: a small bowl of water, a pizza cutter, and a pocket knife, straight blade, or paring knife.
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Flour the surface of the parchment paper.
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Roll out half of the dough and trim the edges to form a large square.
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Cut the square into 2" strips using the pizza cutter.
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Taking one strip at a time, flatten it out to widen it and place a thin line of filling down the center.
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Fold one side of the dough over the filling and lightly wet it to create a seal.
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Flip the dough so that it is sealed side down on the counter and use the knife to cut it into 2-3" pieces.
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Cut three small slits on the top and curve the dough into a crescent shape and place it on a baking sheet.
Bake.
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Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes on the bottom rack, and 5-7 minutes on the top rack.
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Mix the powdered sugar with roughly two tablespoons of milk to create the icing.
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When the cookies are done baking, let them cool completely.
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Ice the cookies and enjoy.
