Fig And Nut Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN FIG COOKIES I

Steps:

• To Make Dough: Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Blend in flour and baking powder by hand. Knead dough until smooth and workable. Add milk to reach workable consistency. (This takes a while and you will get a workout, but you'll know when it's right.)
• To Make Filling: Cut up figs, orange, and apple into small pieces. (It is easier to grind this way). Grind figs, raisins, orange, and apple. If the mixture is too dry or thick, mix in up to 1 cup of water, if desired. (I do not use the water, the juice from the apple and orange are enough). The spices and chopped nuts are added to the ground fig mixture. After the fig mixture is ground, I sprinkle them in over the mixture and mix (knead) it in by hand. STICKY! But good.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll out some dough. (should be kind of thin). Put fig mixture in a line. Wrap dough over mixture, sealing figs inside dough. Trim to desired length, using a diagonal cut. Make small diagonal slits in the sides of the cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes. (Dough makes good cookies without the filling also). Wonderful with coffee.

ITALIAN FIG COOKIES (CUCIDATI) RECIPE

Steps:

• Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse again.
• Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Process until the dough just starts to combine (like pie dough). Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until it comes together completely and looks smooth.
• Divide the dough into four equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Place the dried figs, dates, pecans, raisins, and orange zest in the food processor. Give it a couple of pulses to start grinding the fruit.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Add the water and sugar mixture to the food processor and pulse until it grinds everything and comes together.
• Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least overnight or longer.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Form the fig filling into ropes about the size of your little finger. To make it easier form all the filling and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Using only one dough round at a time (leave the remaining dough refrigerated) on a well-floured surface, knead the dough a few times until it becomes smooth, roll the dough out fairly thin, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Trim the rough edges from the dough, place a rope on the dough edge. Lift the outer edge and start rolling it over the filling. Roll it completely over and trim it off. Place the seam side down.
• Slice each strip on the diagonal into about 1-inch pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the tops a light golden and bottoms are browned. Watch them closely, all ovens are different. You may need to rotate the baking sheets for even browning.
• Allow them to cool on the pan for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FIG AND NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• In medium bowl, mix flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice with whisk; set aside. In large bowl, stir together brown sugar, melted butter and eggs. Stir in figs, cranberries and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Gently fold in almonds.
• Onto cookie sheet, drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 4 inches apart. Sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar.
• Bake 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

FIG PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Make dough: Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl, set aside. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.
• Transfer one of the dough halves to a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll out to a 10-by-12-inch rectangle, trim edges with a knife. Repeat with remaining dough half. Transfer each rectangle on parchment to a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Make filling: Bring figs, raisins, and juices to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until fruit has softened and only a few tablespoons of liquid remain, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Transfer fig mixture to a food processor, and puree until smooth.
• Spread half the filling over each rectangle. Starting with a long side, roll dough into a log. Wrap each log in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices using a sharp knife, transferring to baking sheets lined with parchment paper (and reshaping into rounds, if needed) as you work. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

CUCCIDATI - ITALIAN FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl of food processor add all dry ingredients: sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cold butter cut in cubes. Process until you get a crumbly dough without big lumps.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract. Process again until dough starts to come together.
• The whole process can be done with dough blender which is really handy.
• Transfer the dough onto a work surface and shape it quickly with your hands forming a smooth ball. Add some milk if the dough doesn't come together.
• Cover with a plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
• You can also make the dough the night before and keep it in the fridge. Make sure to take it out at least 2 hours before making cooking, otherwise it'll be too hard to roll.
• Steep dried figs in hot water for about 30 minutes. Take them out on a paper towel or linen towel and pat-dry to remove excess liquid.
• In a food processor add figs, candied fruit and Marsala wine. Process until you get a nice paste.
• In a food processor pulse nuts and dark chocolate. Or you can roughly chop them with a sharp knife. Set aside.
• In a big bowl mix together fig paste, chopped nuts with chocolate, raisins and cinnamon.
• Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
• Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to approx. ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out a rectangular shape and save trimmed edges.
• Place fig filling lengthwise closer to one edge of the rectangle and fold the dough over to the other side brushing with some water the very end of the dough before closing it. This helps to seal the seam.
• Place formed log seam side down and using a pastry cutter or a sharp floured knife cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cookies.
• Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet line with parchment paper or a silicone mat about ½ inch apart from each other.
• Bake in preheated to 350F (175C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.
• Let cool.
• Repeat with the remaining dough (including trimmed dough leftovers) and fig filling.
• Beat egg white until foamy, add a pinch of salt and lemon juice.
• Continue to beat, slowly adding confectioners sugar. Increase speed to high and beat for another few minutes until soft peaks form.
• Once cookies are chilled to room temperature, dip them in the icing and top with color sprinkles.
• Let dry for a few hours before packing.
• If it's too cold or humid inside you can turn on the oven and heat to 85F (30C) and let your cookies dry in the oven for 20-60 minutes, checking on them occasionally.

ITALIAN FIG COOKIES (CUCIDATI): THE ORIGINAL SICILIAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the figs into small cubes.
• Place the fig pieces in a saucepan. Add the 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup walnuts, and 1 teaspoons cinnamon. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
• In another bowl, add 200g butter, 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 10g vanilla sugar, 10 g baking powder. Use a wooden spoon to mix well.
• Add the all-purpose flour, in small portions, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes too thick, then use your hands to make sure the dough is smooth.
• Roll the dough into a thick log, and divide into small portions.
• Place a square of clingfilm on a clean work bench. Add a small portion of dough to the clingfilm and flatten slightly. Add a teaspoon of the fig filling to the center.
• Use the clingfilm to close the ball dough and form a fig shape.
• Put the cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 35 minutes at 180°C/ 350°F.
• Sprinkle it with powdered sugar.

FIG AND WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the pastry dough: Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg mixture and mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough in 2 and flatten into disks. Wrap the dough disks in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, for the filling and cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the figs and raisins in a food processor. Add the honey, orange juice, cinnamon, and lemon zest, and pulse just to blend. Scrape the fig mixture into a medium bowl. Stir in the walnuts. Transfer the fruit mixture to a pastry bag.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured work surface to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch diameter biscuit cutter, cut out dough rounds. Gather the dough scraps into a disk, then cover and refrigerate while assembling the cookies. Spoon the fruit mixture in the center of each dough round. Lightly moisten the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges to seal. Arrange the cookies evenly apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops of the cookies with egg wash. Bake until the cookies are pale golden, about 18 minutes.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. Repeat with the refrigerated dough scraps and remaining filling.

FIG DROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheet(s).
• In a saucepan, combine figs and water and place over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer , cream shortening, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and well blended.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to blend thoroughly.
• Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the fig mixture until well mixed.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets . Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool completely before storing in a tightly covered container.
• Serve and enjoy!

FIG AND CHERRY COOKIE PIES

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and cream, and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Add more cream if necessary, but stop before the dough is too wet. Tip the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a ball, divide in two and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the figs, cherries and 1¼ cups water, and bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Cook until the figs are very soft, about 15 minutes, adding a little more water as necessary to make a moist paste. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and add the almonds, brown sugar, rum, orange zest, cinnamon and salt, and pulse until you have a relatively smooth paste. (You should have about 1¼ cups filling.) Let cool completely.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 ball at a time, roll the dough out to ⅛-inch thickness on a very lightly floured surface. Use a 2¼-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheet. Scoop about a scant tablespoon of filling onto half of the dough circles. Brush the edges of the filled circles with a bit of cream and top with another dough circle, gently pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (If the dough becomes too soft, pop it into the fridge to firm up before continuing.) You can reroll and cut the dough scraps one time.
• Chill the pies for 10 minutes. Use a fork to crimp all of the edges. (If you'd like to neaten the edges, you can go over the cookies again with the cookie cutter.) Refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 more minutes. While the cookies chill, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush the top of each cookie with cream. Bake until they're golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, almond extract and 3 tablespoons cream. The icing should be spreadable. If it isn't, stir in another tablespoon cream. Spread a bit of the glaze on each cookie and top with sprinkles. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for a month.