Cuccidati
Cuccidati are Italian fig or date bars. They are beautiful on cookie trays during the holiday season.
Cuccidati, also known as Italian fig cookies, are a traditional Sicilian treat typically prepared during the holiday season, especially for Christmas. They are filled with a mixture of dried figs, nuts, spices, and sometimes citrus zest, all encased in a sweet dough.
Cuccidati
Cuccidati are fig and date bars. They are beautiful on cookie trays during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Crust
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
Rind of 1 orange
4 teaspoons orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
1 string figs
8 ounces raisins
8 ounces brown sugar
1 pound walnuts
1 pound dates
1 orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 ounces whiskey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
Frosting
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 ounces butter
Orange juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Crust
- In large bowl, cream together first 3 ingredients.
- Add orange juice and orange rind.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture along with vanilla.
Filling
Prepare several days ahead of time.
- In a food grinder, grind figs and raisins.
- In a large saucepan, simmer raisins and figs with brown sugar and water for 15 minutes.
- Grind walnuts, dates and orange. Stir into hot mixture along with cinnamon, black pepper and whiskey.
- Remove from stove, mix well, cover, and let mellow for 3 days.
- Roll dough into 3-inch wide strips on pastry cloth. Lay filling down the center and wrap dough to form a long “sausage-like” cookie. Roll back and forth until crust seems very thin. Cut in diagonal about every 1 1/2 inches. Place on cookie sheet close together and bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Cookies should be barely brown.
- Cool and store in tins for 5 days, then frost.
Frosting
- In a medium bowl, mix together butter and confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Add enough juice to make a thick glaze. Top cookies with a thin coat.
- Let frosting dry a couple of hours then store in tins.
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