Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies

This recipe for Spiced Italian Christmas Fig Cookies -also known as cucidati, will add a European flair to your holiday cookie platter.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian cookies, Italian fig cookies

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 119kcal

Author Maria Vannelli RD

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.

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