Buccellati Siciliani – Sicilian Fig Cookies

These gems are also known as cucciddati or cucidati in Sicilian dialect. But nothing says Christmas to me like these Christmas cookies. These are full of a filling of dried figs and nuts and the spices of holidays. You can serve them glazed and decorated with colored sprinkles, like they do in Palermo, or simply dusted with confectioner’s sugar. These surely don’t last long in my house, so make a big batch and share them with family and friends.

Buccellati Siciliani – Sicilian Fig Cookies

The Sicilian Buccellati, Cucciddati in dialect, are shortcrust pastry biscuits filled with dried figs typical of the Christmas period. The filling, prepared with figs, dried fruit and jam, is scented with various types of spices: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. It is a very old Sicilian recipe, from when the desserts, prepared 1-2 times a year, had to last for months!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

For the dough:

• 500 g flour 00
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g lard or butter
• 2 eggs
• 5 g baking powder half a teaspoon
• 5 g baking soda half a teaspoon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 45 ml milk or water

For the fig filling:

• 500 g dried figs
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 50 g dark chocolate chopped
• 4 teaspoons walnuts chopped
• 2 tablespoons Marsala liquor
• 3 tablespoons orange jam
• to taste mixed spices cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg

To Decorate:

• 1 egg white
• 2 drops of lemon juice
• 120 g powdered sugar
• sprinkles

Instructions

 

Filling for the cookies:

• Boil the figs for about 2 minutes so that they soften. Drain them and place them on a cloth to dry.
• Once dry, remove the stems, cut them into small pieces and blend them in a food processor. The important thing is to reduce the figs to a puree.
• Add all the other ingredients to the dried figs: raisins, chocolate cut into flakes, walnuts, orange marmalade, Marsala. Mix (preferably with your hands). You will have to obtain a full-bodied but soft dough, not dry. Decide whether to add a little extra jam or a few tablespoons of Marsala.
• Add spices but do not overdo it.
• Once ready, the filling for buccellati should be covered (to keep it from drying out) and left to rest for a couple of hours. It is usually prepared the night before.

Dough for the cookies:

• Mix everything on a large cutting board or counter top. Once it is elastic and well mixed, it is ready.
• Wrap the dough in cling plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Making the cookies:

• Roll the dough out thin with a rolling pin.
• For the Buccellati a Panzerotto, cut out circular shapes with a stencil. Place a spoonful of seasoning in the center and close them. Seal the edges with a fork and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• For the open buccellati, make the dough into a long rectangle. In the center of the rectangle, place a small line of filling. Close the pastry rectangle sealing it with your fingers.
• Cut the rectangle into pieces which can range from 2 to 10 cm. With the scissors make cuts on the edges and in the upper part.
• Put the buccellati in a baking tray with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 ° for about 30 minutes. Once cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool.

Decorating the cookies:

• In a deep dish, pour 1 egg white and beat it with a fork until frothy. Add a few drops of lemon juice and start adding the powdered sugar. You need to get a thick and white sugar glaze. It may take a little more sugar than the indicated amount.
• Brush the surface of the Buccellati with the icing and decorate them with the colored sprinkles. Put the Buccellati back in the pan and put them back in the OFF OVEN but still HOT to dry the icing.
• Your Sicilian buccellati are ready and keep well for some time. Put them in a box or an airtight bag.