Cucidati (Sicilian Fruit Filled Cookies by Dachshundlady

[BakerAunt]

Cucidati (Sicilian Fruit Filled Cookies)
Submitted by dachshundlady on February 05, 2012 at 7:03 am

Soft sugar cookie type outside filled with ground figs, raisins, dates, citrus, spice and nuts. Then topped with a citrusy icing. Traditional for Christmas but great anytime!
Yield: 60 cookies
Source: Combination of recipes from friends and Sicilian Community Cookbook

Filling
8 oz. mission figs, soaked 90 minutes if necessary; stems removed
1 cup raisins, soaked if necessary
8 oz. dates, pitted
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted(or your favorite)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. allspice
5-6 Tbsp. additional pineapple or orange juice

Dough
1 cup Crisco
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. orange zest (rubbed into sugar)
4 eggs
4 3/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. OJ or more if dough needs more moisture

Icing
2 1/4 cups confect sugar
6 Tbsp. soft butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup OJ
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
Adjust consistency with juice to your preference for icing.

Instructions
Cut up drained fruit coarsely and grind with nuts in food processor. Add pineapple, sugar, spice and juice. Can be made the day before and left in fridge.

For dough, cream shortening with zested sugar. Beat well and add eggs, one at time. Beat and add vanilla and OJ.

Whisk dry ingredients and add to wet. Mix and chill in fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Divide dough into quarters. Divide filling into quarters.

Roll out a dough about 5" wide and 1/4" thick. Put a filling down the center of dough strip. Fold over and seal. Place on a chilled cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Put in fridge. Repeat with other 3 doughs and fillings. Refrigerate these logs about 30 minutes. They can be close together on the cookie sheet. You will be baking them on different sheets.

Preheat oven 350 regular or 325 convection

Slice logs into 1" diagonal slices, wider if that is your preference. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets (or greased if that is your preference)

Bake 15-20 minutes in regular oven or 12-18 in convection oven.

They will be very lightly browned on some edges. Place on cooling racks.

Cool and ice. You can either spread the icing or put it in a bowl and dip each cookie upside down in it. Let drip, then place on wax or parchment paper. Some people sprinkle on multi- colored cookie decorations while icing is still wet.

Store in airtight tins or Tupperware. These cookies are MUCH better the second day (so try to be patient!). They last for at least 5 days. The filling and icing makes the cookie part moist and seems to just get better. Perfect for Christmas as you can make a day or two ahead and not have to freeze. Actually easy to make but impressive looking.

comments
Submitted by dachshundlady on Fri, 2012-03-16 08:39.
These are just wonderful, especially the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, even 5th day. I keep them in tins or Tupperware in a cool downstairs bedroom. My curmudgeonly neighbor has declared them "the best cookies I have ever eaten"!. At Christmas I had to take him a second tin which he promptly hid from his family.

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