Widespread throughout Sicily, these cookies, ancestors of the panificatus of the Romans, begin to be prepared as early as the feast of the Immaculate Conception and are kept throughout the Christmas period.

Cucciddati are short pastry cookies filled with fig jam, toasted and chopped almonds, orange peel and cinnamon.

They are decorated with an icing prepared with icing sugar and egg white, and covered with rainbow grains, cinnamon or chocolate chips.

 

 

 

YIELD: Makes 15

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups  flour
• 1/2 cup of fine sugar
• 5/8 cup of butter
• 1 yolk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 20 ml milk

For The Filling:

• 1 cup dried figs
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup of dark chocolate pieces
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp apricot marmalade
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 20 ml milk
• 10 ml marsala

 For The Glaze:

• 1/2 cup of  icing sugar
• 10 ml lemon juice
• sprinkles as needed

METHOD:

1. Combine the sugar, baking powder and flour.

2. Add the butter. Mix until the mixture is crumbly.

3. Add the yolk and milk.

4. Work into a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes

5. Roughly chop the figs, almonds and walnuts. Add the raisins

6. Add the cinnamon powder, honey, dark chocolate pieces, candied orange, apricot marmalade, marsala and the milk

7. Using a food processor, mix everything together to form a thick paste.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll the dough into a rectangle

9. Take the filling and using your hands make it into a log, the same length as the dough rectangle you made earlier. Place it in the middle of the rectangle.

10. Seal the filling by folding the dough over the filling. With the help of a sharp knife, divide into equal parts.

11.  Arrange the buccellati seam side down, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown in colour. Once baked, leave on a wire rack to cool.

12. Prepare the glaze by dissolving the icing sugar in lemon juice to form a thick paste. Once the cookies have cooled top with the glaze and sprinkles