Italian Fig Cookies (Cuccidati) are a traditional treat that embodies the rich culinary heritage of Italy. These festive cookies feature a tender, subtly sweet dough filled with a spiced mixture of figs, raisins, orange, apple, and nuts, reminiscent of a homemade Fig Newton with a vibrant twist. Often topped with powdered sugar icing and colorful sprinkles, they are as visually delightful as they are delicious.
Perfect for large gatherings or holiday celebrations, these cookies capture the essence of old-world charm. While they require effort to prepare, their unique flavor and texture make them well worth the time.
This makes a large recipe…it can easily be halved!
Ingredients
- For the dough:
2 cups solid vegetable shortening
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour
7 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
pinch salt
milk
- For the filling:
2 pounds figs
1/2 pound raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
half of an orange (with peel)
half of a small apple
3/4 cups chopped pecans
- For decorations
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (optional)
sprinkles (optional)
Directions
- Make the dough:
- To make dough, cream sugar and shortening: add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Blend in flour and baking powder by hand. Knead dough until smooth and workable. If this seems dry, add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you have a workable consistency.
- Make the filling:
- Cut up figs, orange with its peel, and apple into small pieces, mix well with the raisins, then pass through a food mill or meat grinder (if you don’t have a food mill, use a food processor in small batches). Mix in the cinnamon and chopped nuts by hand.
- Assemble and bake:
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). On a floured board or between two sheets of waxed paper, roll out portions of dough a little more than 1/8 inch thickness. Top with a line of fig mixture. Wrap dough over mixture, sealing figs inside dough, to make a long flat tube of uniform width and uniform thickness. Slice this log into the desired cookie size. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, when cool, prepare Powdered Sugar Icing, ice the cookies and top with sprinkles
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Notes
- Also sometimes referred to as Buccellati (although this word is also used for a larger fig-stuffed pastry), Turtigliuna (the same word is also sometimes used for a type of pasta) or Sicilian Fig Cookies. Common misspellings: cucidati, cuccidatti, cucidatti.