Indulge your taste buds in the heavenly flavors of Italian Fig Cookies, also known as Cucidati. Bursting with the richness of figs, nuts, and a hint of citrus, these delightful treats are a staple in Italian households during festive occasions.

In this easy-to-follow recipe, we’ll guide you through the process of making these delectable cookies right in your own kitchen just like Grandma used to make.

Italian Fig Cookies (Cucidati) Recipe

Ingredients:

Filling –                                                            Dough –

2 cups dry figs                                                3 ¾ cups flour

1 cup dry dates                                               ½ cup sugar

1 orange, zested and juiced                           4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup raisins                                                   ½ teaspoon salt

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped                     ½ no salt butter, cold

¼ cup honey                                                  ¼ cup shortening

2 tablespoons brandy                                    ½ cup milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                    1 egg

¼ teaspoon cloves                                        1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon allspice                                      ½ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Icing –

2 cups powdered sugar    Red or green food coloring

¼ cup milk                        Sprinkles

Process:

Filling –

Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor until well blended – use additional orange juice if the mixture is too thick

Cover and chill at least 8 hours

Dough –

Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor until it comes together

Knead the dough, wrap in plastic, and chill for 2 hours

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape onto a floured surface

Place the filling in the center of the rectangle down the entire length

Bring the left side of the dough over the filling then roll over the the right edge

Preheat oven to 375

Cut into ½ – 1 inch slices and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

Bake 12-14 minutes

Cool

In a small bowl mix powdered sugar, milk, and food coloring (if desired – you can keep it traditional white)

Drizzle over the cookies then add sprinkles

Serve and enjoy!

How to Bake in Batches to Make the Most of Your Baking Time

One way to handle your holiday baking is to bake in batches, then freeze and store for the big day. You can do this successfully over a couple of weeks with batch baking and batch preparing.

The biggest thing to remember is to only try a few different types of things in one day, or focus on just one type of baked good in one day. For example, you might want to bake all your quick breads in one day. Another day you can prepare all your cookie dough. Yet another time, you can bake all your fruit pies and so forth. This process makes the most of the time you have, the space you have, and your skill level.

Be Prepared

Don’t try batch baking without a plan of action. Be sure to write down your plans in advance so that you are sure you have enough time to do everything that you’ve planned. To figure out a basic time line, add up the prep time, the baking time for each oven full, and then multiply that by 1.5 to account for a little extra issues happening. Then you should be sure that you have enough time.

Get Everything Ready to Go

Your kitchen should be spotless when you start, and ensure that you have all the ingredients and appliances necessary to make each item ready to go. If you know, for example, that today you’ll be using about 10 pounds of flour, consider using a large bowl to hold the flour so you can easily spoon the flour into the measuring cup, flatten off over the bowl, without having to get into the bag over and over which usually means spillage.

Clean as You Go

Fill your sink immediately with hot soapy water so you can clean as you go. You will want to wash your mixing dishes and other utensils during the baking process so that you can use them again. There’s no point in totally destroying your kitchen as you batch bake, and you don’t have to. Set out a draining board, fill the sink with hot soapy water, and wash as you go. There are many opportunities during baking to wash a couple of dishes, and this will make the clean-up faster, and the process more organized.

All Day Batch Baking

You can set aside a day for batch baking such as a Saturday. Plan for all day baking, which usually entails 8 to 10 hours of work. Ensure that any other chores are done, including the shopping, and the kitchen is clean and ready prior to baking day. It’s important to organize your recipes with some logic behind them. For example, if you need dough to rise, start that first, so that it can be rising as you are preparing other things such as cookie dough or pie crusts. Both can be put in the refrigerator or freezer after preparation while you bake the bread, then baked after you bake the bread while the oven is still hot and ready.

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