Italian Fig Cookies

By Maverick19

Known as Cuccidati, these traditional Italian cookies are Delicious!!!

This recipe was brought from Sicily in the early 1900's and passed down to today.

Yields 4-5 Dozen THICK cookies. You can make them thinner if you like, but classic fig cookies are thick.

These do take a lot of work, but they are well worth it!

Ingredients

• 2 cup shortening
• 3 cup sugar
• 6 eggs, room temp
• 8 cup all purpose flour
• 7 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cup whole milk
• 4 lb dried figs
• 1 lb raisins
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 whole orange, including peel
• 1 small apple
• 1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup water (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the Dough: Cream together shortening and 3 cups sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and salt. Blend in the flour and baking powder by hand. Knead dough until smooth and workable. Add milk to reach workable consistency. (This takes awhile and works you out, but you will know when it is right)

2. Make the Filling: Cut up figs, orange and apple into small pieces. GRIND figs, raisins, orange and apple. If the mixture is too dry or thick, mix in up to 1 cup of water, if desired. (Juice from apple and orange are usually enough) The spices and chopped nuts are then added to the ground fix mixture. Sprinkle the spices and nuts on the fig mix and knead in by hand. It's sticky but well worth it.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

4. Roll out some dough (should be kind of thin). Put fig mixture in a line. Wrap dough over mixture, sealing mixture inside dough. Trim to desired length. *You have the option to cut them in triangles or leave in squares) Make small diagonal slits in the sides of the cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-15 minutes. Cool on rack.