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    Home » Italian Cookies » Italian Fig Cookies aka Cucidati

    Italian Fig Cookies aka Cucidati

    December 11, 2015 , Updated December 16, 2019 Maria 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Your Italian cookie platter would not be complete without these Italian Fig Cookies, also known as cucidati. So put on your favorite Christmas CD and let’s get baking!

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Admittedly, this type of cookie can be a little time consuming to prepare, but you will notice that it is usually one of the first cookies to disappear from your cookie platter. So when it’s time to make these Italian filled Christmas cookies, my cookie strategy is to spread the process over three days.

    Day 1: Make the dough and the filling

    With the help of a food processor, these two activities can be completed in less than 30 minutes (including the clean-up time). I usually start the whole process by roasting the hazelnuts. (The details on how to do this can be found in the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti). While they are roasting, I make the dough.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Place all of your dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse the cut-up butter until you get a coarse meal. Add your eggs, vanilla and orange zest and continue to pulse until a ball forms.

    Are you beginning to smell the hazelnuts roasting? Probably time to pull them out of the oven. Give them a rub and then set them aside to cool off.

    Okay, let’s get back to our mixture; separate in thirds, shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an overnight chill.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig CookiesOnce your food processor is clean again, place all of your ingredients for the filling in it and blend together in order to get the desired paste-like consistency.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig CookiesI wish that this picture could be one of those scratch and sniff cards. The smell of the spices, coffee and chocolate is truly intoxicating. Place in a bowl, wrap it up and refrigerate in order for the flavors to blend.

    That completes Day 1.

    Day 2: Make the Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Now for the fun part!

    Grab your rolling pin, your fig mixture and one piece of dough.

    Over the years, I’ve developed a very practical, amateur approach to rolling this dough.

    I place it in between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the cutting board and to avoid adding more flour which would ultimately make the dough tougher.

    Now, don’t feel bad if you are not able to roll out a perfect rectangle… after all these years of making this recipe, I still can’t do it perfectly!

    And that’s okay because the dough scraps can easily be re-rolled. What’s important is to roll out the dough to about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thickness; then with the help of a knife, cut out strips of dough, 3 inches wide and approximately 12 inches long.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig CookiesI then place the spiced fig mixture down the center and with the help of the parchment paper, I lift up one end and then join it the other…once again, not very professional, but it works!

    You now have a log-shaped fig cookie. Turn the log over so that the seam is on the underside. Flatten the top and it looks like a giant fig newton cookie.

    Now as the official cookie maker of this recipe, you get to choose the shape of your cookies. You can form them into logs, horseshoes, large wreaths and my favorite, the shape of an X.

    What I usually do is cut my 12-inch log in half and then again in half. So I now have 4 cookies, each about 3 inches long.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    I then cut a slit at the bottom and top third. Place your cookie on the parchment paper, and separate the bottom and top half and voilà…you have the X.

    Continue rolling, slicing until all of your dough and filling is finished. Then bake them.

    Next comes the decorating part. You can easily do this on the second day – just wait a while for the cookies to cool down when they come out of the oven.

    Usually, though, since I make these Christmas cookies way ahead of time, at this point I will freeze them. I’ll only take them out to decorate when I am ready to serve them.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Day 3: Decorating the Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Are you ready to make some more decisions? When it comes to decorating these wonderful cookies, you have a couple of options.

    If you are a fan of multi-colored sprinkles, you can glaze the cookies and sprinkle away. I prefer a dusting of icing sugar over the tops. I’m always a fan of keeping things simple, especially during the holiday season.

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    Origins of Recipe for Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    I absolutely love figs. Whether fresh or dried, I just cannot get enough. I found this recipe in a Canadian Living Holiday Magazine many, many years ago, 1996 to be exact. It immediately caught my attention because of the figs. Imagine my surprise when I saw this recipe included in their featured cover page of Italian Cookies. Well, at that point in my life, I had never heard of such a cookie and I just had to try it. These Spiced Italian Fig Cookies have been part of my Christmas cookie platter ever since.

    A few Italian cookies piled on a plate.

    These cookies have their roots from la bella sicilia, an island in the south of Italy. But don’t think that every Sicilian will make these cookies the same! Maybe these Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies take on this appearance in one small Sicilian town, but in another small town 10km away, they can look totally different – they might be made with liquor, or prunes and raisins, or walnuts and almonds, or anything! The spices they use can be really different as well. Truly infinite possibilities!

    Maybe you’re a little familiar with Italian cookies, and find these ones to be a bit unique? There was once an Arab influence on Sicily, so you will find this area’s regional cooking a little different from the rest of Italy.

    I hope you enjoy these Sicilian cookies, also known as cucidati – they truly add a Sicilian flair to your cookie tray.

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    Ciao for now,

    Maria

    ★★★★★ If you have made these fig filled cookies, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

    A stack of Italian cookies.

    Italian Fig Cookies Cucidati

    This recipe for spiced Italian Fig Cookies -also known as cucidati, will add a European flair to your holiday cookie platter.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 2 hours
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 36 servings
    Calories: 119kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
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    Ingredients

    the dough

    • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 cup butter cold, cut up
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon orange rind grated
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    the filling

    • 1/2 cup hazelnuts roasted and cooled
    • 1½ teaspoon instant espresso granules dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
    • 1 cup dried figs chopped, stems removed
    • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
    • 1/4 cup currants or dried raisins
    • 1/4 cup apricot or peach jam
    • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ground
    • 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground

    Instructions

    the dough:

    • In a food processor combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse together.
    • Add cut up pieces of butter and pulse together until mixture is crumbly.
    • Add eggs, vanilla and orange zest and continue to pulse until a ball forms. The mixture will pull away from the sides of the bowl.
    • Separate in thirds, shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an overnight chill.

    The filling:

    • Place all of your ingredients for the filling in the food processor and blend together in order to get the desired paste-like consistency.
    • Place in bowl, cover and place in fridge for an overnight chill.

    The assembly:

    • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 375 °F /190 °C
    • Place one portion of the chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to obtain a large rectangle (12 x 9 inches) about 1/8 – ¼ thick; you should be able to make 3 pieces- each measuring 3-inches wide, and about 12 inches long.
    • Place the spiced fig mixture down the center and enclose the mixture. Turn the log over so that the seam is on the underside. Flatten the top.
    • Cut the 12 inch log in half and then again in half. You should have 4 cookies about 3 inches long.
    • Cut a slit at the bottom and top third of each cookie.
    • Place your cookie on the parchment paper, and separate the bottom and top half and voilà…you have the X cookie.
    • Continue rolling and slicing until all of your dough and filling is finished.
    • Bake in 375 °F /190 °C for 18- 20 minutes or until golden.
    • Transfer to rack to cool off.
    • Dust with icing sugar before serving.
    Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

    Notes

    Active prep time is approximately 2 hours. Since the dough and the filling need to stay in the fridge for the flavors to blend, you can calculate the idle time to be at least 12 hours.
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 
    *based on recipe from Canadian Living

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 81mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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    Post update: 2016.09.15

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    Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Italian Cookies

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Josephine Jefferds

      July 15, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      These will definitely be in my Christmas baking lineup this year. I have a very prolific fig tree, can I use fresh figs or must they be dried? Thank you for sharing all your amazing recipes. Everyone of them are winners.

      Reply
      • Maria

        July 19, 2022 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks so much for your kind words Josephine! Only 159 days until Christmas… lol!

        Reply
    2. Lina

      December 17, 2021 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe. Made it two years in a row. Works well with almonds, as well.

      Reply
      • Maria

        December 17, 2021 at 9:13 pm

        Thank you so much for sharing Lina!

        Reply
    3. Lina Iaccarino

      December 14, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      I made them for the first time last year and couldn’t wait for Christmas to have an excuse to make them again. I bought a 5 lb bag of figs this time around. Let the good time cookies roll! Always excellent recipes. Thank you Maria.

      Reply
      • Maria

        December 17, 2021 at 9:20 pm

        Thank you so much for sharing Lina!

        Reply
    4. deb@glutenfreefarina

      December 05, 2016 at 5:04 pm

      These were my dad’s favorites. Interesting how everyone shapes them differently. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Maria

        December 06, 2016 at 8:03 am

        These are one of my favorite cookies… but then again, I just love figs! Appreciate the comment 🙂

        Reply
    5. Wanda

      October 28, 2016 at 1:03 pm

      4 stars
      I love fig cookies! I am bookmarking this recipe as I will have to try these this year for sure!

      Hello from Wanda at http://www.bakersbeans.ca!

      Reply
      • Maria

        October 28, 2016 at 4:21 pm

        I just can’t resist figs. Period. Thanks so much for dropping by Wanda 🙂

        Reply
    6. Elaine @ Flavour and Savour

      October 28, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      These look incredible! I’m a fan of figs, too. I actually have two fig trees in my yard. I’m pinning this to save for Christmas. Thanks for all the detailed instructions.

      Reply
    7. Carrie

      October 28, 2016 at 12:02 pm

      I am so excited that it is Christmas cookie time again! These look absolutely amazing! We tried something similar last year for the first time, but wasn’t in love with it. Definitely trying this one this year – can’t wait to taste these!

      Reply
      • Maria

        October 28, 2016 at 4:12 pm

        I feel the same way Carrie! There are so many variations of this cookie. Hope you get a chance to try them. Thanks so much for dropping by 🙂

        Reply

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    Maria from She loves biscotti

    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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