Little Wine Cookies / Biscottini al Vino
Easy
Italian Fig Cookies / Cuccidati
Makes 24
Ingredients
- Dough
- 2 1/4 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup frozen unsalted butter, grated
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- Filling
- 1 1/2 cups dried figs, stemmed, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch black pepper
- Grated zest of one large orange
- Glaze
- 1 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
- Juice of one large orange
- 1 tablespoon fiori di Sicilia*
- Colored sprinkles
- Ingredients
Directions
- For the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in the milk and egg until the dough comes together.
- Divide dough into two pieces, wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours or until easy to handle.
- For the Filling
- In a food processor, grind the figs, raisins and almonds into a thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the marmalade, cinnamon and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough into a 12 inch square.
- Spread half the filling evenly over the surface of the dough then roll the dough up forming a log. Cut twelve 1-inch slices. Place the slices seam side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- For the Glaze
- In a small bowl combine the confectioners sugar and juice until smooth; add the fiori di Sicilia and mix until a glaze is formed that flows off a spoon but is not too thin.
- While the cuccidatu are still warm, dip the tops of each in the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on cooling racks and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Allow to dry completely.
- Cuccidatu can be frozen in layers between wax paper for up to 3 months.
- *Purchase Fiori di Sicilia from our friends at King Arthur Flour:
- http://search.kingarthurflour.com/search.jsp?N=0&rt=p&Ntt=fiori&x=0&y=0
This recipe was featured on Season 19 - Episode 1909.
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Comments
Petrina Tignino
My mother and aunts made these cookies. They learned it from the Italian mother from Scily. Thank you featuring this on T.V. and for Mary ann Esposito and her recipe. I would like her recipe for Italian meat loaf she made a couple of weeks ago. Can you feature that again. Thanks
mary mistretta
I am looking to buy some Italian fig cookies…..my daughter often brings them from new Orleans la
Jennie demaglie
Making these cookies with granddaughter today in place of fiord di Sicilian is there a substitute or can I leave it out of recipe…I have all ingredients except this … She is going home tomorrow…can you answer a sap…appreciate …love Maryann’s recipes
N. Como
I am addicted to cuccidati! It’s probably a good thing that we only have these at the holiday season or special occasions. Great memories of watching my mother who is not of Sicilian or Italian decent making these with my grandmother and my great aunts!
Rose
We love making these for Christmas! I seem to remember a different episode which talked about how to make them ahead. Can I make them all up and roll the log, then place the log in the freezer? Or maybe just the dough and freeze that? Thank you!
AnnieOcco
HOW clever you are to grate the butter! Will definitely do it this way rather than try to pulse the pieces I normally chop into the flour mix! And my old recipe called for putting the filling in the center of a strip of dough, and then folding the sides of the dough over the filling. That tasted fine, but yours look so much prettier than the old way I did it. Thank you
LAURA TEDESCHI
These recipes are fantastic and so very authentic – like my Nonna Nella used to make from Barga, Province di Lucca, Italia! Brava! – please continue to bring these treasured and time-honored classic recipes to new generations.
Christine D.
I love watching your show and you cook. It reminds me of growing up with my Sicilian Grandma it was very much the same. I grew up making these with my Grandma, Mom and Aunts. We made the fig mixture 3 days in advance turning everyday to marinate. Her family recipe uses figs, fresh orange, candied fruit, raisins, almonds, drk chocolate, Grand Marnier &few more. My favorite cookie ever and a delicious labor of love. The best part is sharing the experience in making them. Each cookie we gave a special shape and design to and then frosted it. I need to make these again it’s been quite a few years. I feel my Grandmothers love every time even though she is no longer with us and that means so much. These cookies make loving memories for all who make them.