Cucidati recipe

rygimom · ‎10-09-2013

Does anyone have a cucidati (Italian fig cookie) recipe that is good? My mother always made them at Christmas and I don't have her recipe. I really wish I would have gotten her recipes before she passed on.

alliswell · ‎07-12-2012

@rygimom wrote:
Does anyone have a cucidati (Italian fig cookie) recipe that is good? My mother always made them at Christmas and I don't have her recipe. I really wish I would have gotten her recipes before she passed on.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Cucidati Bucellati recipe but usually will buy them from a Sicilian-Italian bakery, perhaps you can find a bakery that makes them or order online.

rygimom · ‎10-09-2013

That's a good idea to check online. Probably the closest bakery to me that would have them would be in San Francisco, which is about 1 1/2 hours away. I think I will check for one next time we are in that area. Thanks for the suggestions.

PunkinEater · ‎04-02-2010

@rygimom wrote:
Does anyone have a cucidati (Italian fig cookie) recipe that is good? My mother always made them at Christmas and I don't have her recipe. I really wish I would have gotten her recipes before she passed on.

Hi Luckyo! My grandma and mom always made them for Christmas and they are still my favorite.Unfortunately, it's one of the recipes they never wrote down. Mom made her usual pie crust recipe for the crust and the filling was dried figs, raisins, hazelnuts, tangerine juice and grated rind, and whiskey. I know there are tons of Cucidati recipes on Pinterest. Good Luck!

rygimom · ‎10-09-2013

Thanks Nebby. I will check pinterest too. I'm sure I will be able to find something online.

Thanks again.

Dorothy11 · ‎09-14-2011

The Italian Baker by Carol Field has a very good recipe for Sicilian Buccellati which are I think, the same as Cuccidati. I have made this recipe and it is very good. The book can be found on Amazon for under 6.00 used, and it is still in print. There are many more great cookie, bread and dessert recipes, all authentic Italian. I used to own an Italian restaurant & bakery and used this book extensively.

https://www.amazon.com/Italian-Baker-Revised-Countryside--Its-Focaccia/dp/1607741067/ref=sr_1_2?s=bo...

rygimom · ‎10-09-2013

Thanks Dorothy. I will check that out. My kids will be here for Christmas and I want to make Italian goodies. We always make homemade ravioli but I think this book will offer lots of great pastry and bread recipes.

Bellabutterfly · ‎04-10-2014

luckyo...

"Authentic Cucidati Sicilion Fig Cookie Recipe".

It is a very good one. Some people use Walnut in place of the Almonds and pine nuts...I use this recipe exactly.

It is a very good recipe.

Make Ahead: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. The cookies can be stored between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container for up to 10 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

SERVINGS:

Tested size: 60 cookies

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH
4 cups flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level it off), plus more for the work surface
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 large eggs

FOR THE FILLING
12 ounces dried Calimyrna figs, stemmed and diced
1/4 cup dark or golden raisins
1/4 cup candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (see NOTE)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see NOTE)
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

FOR ASSEMBLY
1 large egg, well beaten
Kosher salt
Multicolored nonpareils, for decorating

DIRECTIONS

For the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add the butter and process for 10 to 15 seconds or until it is finely mixed into the dry ingredients. Add the eggs. Pulse a few times until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a fat cylinder and use immediately, or seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the figs, raisins, candied orange peel, almonds, pine nuts, chocolate, apricot preserves, rum, instant espresso powder, cinnamon and cloves in a mixing bowl, stirring to blend well. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until finely chopped but not ground or pureed. Return to the bowl; if not using right away, cover and refrigerate.

For assembly: Lightly flour a work surface. Unwrap the dough and place it on the surface, kneading slightly until malleable. Whisk together the egg and salt to form an egg wash.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

Roll the dough into an even cylinder that’s 15 inches long, then cut it into 1-inch rounds.

Re-flour the work surface. Repeat with the filling, creating 15 rounds that are 1 inch thick.

Clean the work surface and flour it lightly. Roll one of the pieces of dough under the palms of your hands to a length of about 8 inches. Make sure there's flour under the dough. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough to a width of 3 inches. if you use a rolling pin for this, flour the top of the dough; roll up to, but not over, the long edges (to keep from making them too thin and to help maintain the rectangular shape). Slide a thin metal spatula under the strip of dough to make sure it isn't stuck.

Flour another part of the work surface and roll one of the pieces of filling under the palms of your hands to a length of 8 inches (non-tapered). Center the narrow log of filling on the dough and use the egg wash to lightly brush the exposed edges of dough. Draw the dough around the filling to enclose it, making a long cylinder. Roll the cylinder under the palms of your hands to lengthen it to 12 inches, being careful to keep it an even thickness all the way to the ends as you work.

Use a paring knife to cut the cylinder into four 3-inch lengths.

Place each short log seam side down and flatten it slightly.

Make 4 diagonal, evenly spaced slashes across the top of the log, then bend the cookie into an arc. The slashes will open wider so the cookie has the shape of a small pastry bear claw.

Lightly brush the tops with the egg wash, then lightly sprinkle the nonpareils on each cookie.

Arrange the cookies on one of the baking sheets, spaced at least 3/4 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to fill the three baking sheets. Stack one of the filled baking sheets on a fourth baking sheet (to form a double layer).

Bake one single sheet on the upper rack and the double-layer sheet on the lower rack for 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and front to back; bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden and firm.

Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool the cookies completely. Reposition an oven rack in the middle of the oven; bake the remaining sheet of cookies on that rack. Cool on the sheet before serving or storing.

NOTE: Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan frequently to avoid scorching. Cool completely before using.

rygimom · ‎10-09-2013

Thank you so much Bellabutterfly. The ingredients sound wonderful. Reading the directions and picturing the cookies as you have described them sounds very much like the ones my mother made. Thanks again. I am anxious to try them.

spix · ‎04-26-2013

@Bellabutterfly, Thanx for the memories, haven't made them in years, used to for every Christmas, now it seems like it's time to get back to it. I always made it into a 3 day process, seemed to make it easier. I bet yours are delicious.