Spiced fig and chocolate christmas cookies - Cuccidati
“There’s an excellent Sicilian pasticceria in my neighborhood in Brooklyn called Monteleone, owned by a man who was born and raised in Sicily. His pastries taste as authentic as any you’ll find in Sicily and, lucky for all of us, he makes cuccidati year-round, not just at Christmas time. (That’s when he makes a larger, ring-shaped version called buccellati, or bracelets.) With the exception of his, I can’t help thinking that the cuccidati in every other Italian American bakery are the cookie version of the game “telephone,” where one person whispers a word to the next and on down the line, until the word at the end bears only a passing resemblance to the original. Most are overly sweet and figgy, without the notes of chocolate and spice, citrus and nuts that make cuccidati unique. Here they are in all their delicious complexity.” - Victoria Granof
MAKES 24 LARGE OR 48 SMALL COOKIES
Dough
240g unsalted butter, at room temperature
130g caster sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 eggs
420g plain flour
60ml milk, as needed
Filling
300g soft dried figs
240ml hot water
130g sugar
60ml Marsala
2 tbsp honey
Half an orange, skin and all, but no seeds
120g toasted walnuts or almonds
50g grated milk chocolate
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
Glaze
115g icing sugar
½ tsp fiori di Sicilia, or vanilla extract
2 to 3 tbsp boiling water
1 egg, for egg wash
Multicolored nonpareils (hundreds and thousands)
In a large bowl, stir the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon to combine well; or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the salt and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well as you go. Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together. If the dough needs a little more moisture to come together, add up to ¼ cup (60 ml) of milk a little at a time. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times. Divide it into fourths, wrap the pieces in plastic wrap, and chill. The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and kept in the fridge; remove it about 20 minutes before you plan to finish the cuccidati.
To make the filling, trim the tops off the figs and cut them into fourths. Transfer them to a large saucepan and add the hot water, sugar, Marsala, and honey. Coarsely chop the orange and add it to the saucepan. Simmer this mixture over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the figs are falling-apart soft and nearly all the liquid is absorbed; there should be just a few tablespoons left in the saucepan. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely ground; transfer to a large bowl. Now pulse the soaked figs with their liquid in the food processor to form a rough paste. Scrape this into the bowl with the nuts, stir in the grated chocolate, cinnamon and cloves, and cool to room temperature. The filling can be made up to a week ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s even easier to form the cuccidati when the filling is cold.
Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, fiori di Sicilia, and 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Whisk until smooth, dribbling in more boiling water as needed. Keep this covered at room temperature until ready to use.
When you’re ready to finish the operation, preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C) and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small glass, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Have ready a pastry brush and a very sharp knife or straight razor blade.
On a lightly floured board, roll out a fourth of the dough into an 18- by 3-inch (46 by 7.5 cm) rectangle. Brush the edges with egg wash. Spoon one-fourth of the filling down the middle of the dough lengthwise. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and bring the edges together, then carefully roll the log over so the seam side is underneath. Repeat with the other three pieces of dough and the rest of the filling.
Now you have a choice to get fancy or keep it simple.
For the simplest option, cut each log crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheets, leaving two finger-widths between each one. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool, then drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with nonpareils.
To get fancy, flatten each log slightly with your hand and cut it crosswise into 6 pieces, each about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide. With the knife or razor, make cuts crosswise all the way through to the work surface, leaving one side of the log uncut, as though you’re making fringe. Now separate each little piece of the “fringe” from its neighbors and curl it this way and that. There’s no specific design, just let your fancy be your guide. As you finish each piece, carefully transfer it to one of the baking sheets, leaving two finger-widths between each one of the cuccidati. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Let cool, then drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with nonpareils. Store airtight for up to a week.
This is an edited extract from Sicily, My Sweet by Victoria Granof, published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $59.99. 📷 Louise Hagger.
