SICILIAN "CUCCIDDATI" COOKIES
Cucciddati , also known variously as Buccellati, Italian fig cookies or Sicilian Fig Cookies, are fig stuffed cookies traditionally served at Christmas time.
The outer cookie is pastry dough, covered with icing and typically topped with rainbow sprinkles. The filling generally consists of some combination of walnuts, dates, figs, honey, spices and orange or apricot jam. The pastry is rolled around the filling, and rolls are either cut into short tubes, or curved around to form a "Bracelet".
When ring-shaped, these may be known as buccellati, meaning "little bracelets," and are a diminutive form of buccellato, a larger fig-filled ring cake. The ingredients are as varied as the names the cookies are called by, apparently a function of the town or region in which they are made. Other towns call them "nucciddati" (nut cookies), "zucciddati", "ucciddati", "vucciddati" and as in Serradifalco, pucciddati. That town's version includes ground figs and dates, nuts, and orange rinds
PASTRY DOUGH
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon Vanilla
3 1/2 cup All purpose fFour
The FILLING
2 cups chopped dried figs
1 cup orange juice (240 ml)
2 cup raisins
2 cups chopped Walnuts
2 cups Chocolate nibs (chips)
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon
Zest of 1 Orange
The GLAZE
5 heaping tablespoons of confectioners sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Nonpareils
Pastry preparation :
Cream together butter and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
Add baking soda to flour and mix 1 cup at a time of flour/soda to creamed butter/sugar.
Add vanilla.
Add 1 egg at a time. Blend well.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
The FILLING
Chop figs in small pieces. Add orange juice and let it sit for a few hours until figs rehydrate. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. This process can be done a day before.
Assembly
When ready to bake, cut dough into 6 equal pieces.
Flour surface and roll out to 9 x 12 rectangle.
Spoon filling along the long side of pastry, about 1 inch in diameter.
Roll filled pastry, wet the end and close, place seam down on parchment lined pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for about 25 minutes or until light golden color.
Let it sit on cooking rack for about 5 minutes as you prepare the glaze.
Mix confectioners sugar with water mix to a smooth glaze.
Before they’re completely cool brush top of cuccidati rolls with glaze.
Add sprinkles if you wish while confectioners sugar syrup is still wet.
ENJOY !!!!
RECIPES From MY SICILIAN NONNA
"AZZURI"
ITALIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
