Sicilian spiced fig-nut cookies (cuccidati or buccellati)
| December 11, 2011 | Posted by ameliaps under christmas, cookies, holidays, Italia, Italian, italy |
I don’t have relatives in Sicily, but I think I have a little Sicilian blood in me…somewhere, because I love that island and its cultural influences. I keep gravitating to it.
Visiting Sicily is one of my favorite summer things to do. That land has been the crossroads of so many different cultures for centuries, which certainly brought many contradictions, but also the richness of its heritage, traditions, people, and foods. And maybe that is why I find America, the place I landed in and live, to be also quite interesting: a convergence of oddly assembled peoples and cultures. Variety, difference and contrast, I think, are the necessary breeding ground for the ‘new’, for opportunity, and ultimately for change, while stagnation and uniformity does not lead to growth. But I digress… let me get back to the cookies.
My grandmother Paola comes from Sardinia, an equally rich and historically complicated island as Sicily, and she bakes “papassini” for Christmas, a diamond shaped cookie, filled with currants and glazed with sugar and non-pareils. While I like her version very much, I find the Sicilian cousins (“cuccidati” , also known as ‘buccellati’) even more intriguing, because it includes more dried fruit than just currants, and more complex flavors: sweet dried figs, African dates, raisins, candied citron, almonds, chopped hazelnuts, fresh lemon and orange zest, and wonderful aromatic spices. They take on a variety of shapes: wreaths and Xs being the most popular. But more complicated shapes, like animals, are also traditional.
These cookies are definitively a conversation-starter, a crowd-pleaser, and make for great cookie tin gift. Happy baking!
| Sicilian spiced fig-nut cookies (cuccidati or buccellati) |
|
- Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups (250 gr.) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 115 gr.) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100 gr.) sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (60 ml.) milk
- Filling:
- 6 ounces (1 cup, 170 gr.) dried figs (black Mission), stem removed
- 4 Tbsp rum
- 4 ounces (1/3 cup, 115 gr.) honey
- 1/2 cup (3 oz., 85 gr.) raisins
- 6 large dates (Medjool), pit removed
- 1/4 cup (40 gr.) candied citron
- 1 cup (170 gr.) whole, skin-on, almonds, toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 1 cup (170 gr.) hazelnuts, toasted, skin removed, and chopped
- Icing
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 to 4 Tbsps lemon juice, or as needed
- Non-pareils (sprinkles), as needed
Assembling the ingredients:
Shaping and cutting:
Finishing and preparing to bake:
Glazing…and eating!:
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oh my….these are delish ! love the way you decorated them & the shape of the cookies…
they are tasty indeed: layered flavors and a refreshing bite from the lemon zest
Such a beautiful and unique cookie. I’m sure it is rich and fragrant!
You are so in the spirit of the Season!
Nicole: I know, it’s my favorite time of the year and it’s so fun to bake with the kids
The elf has a little brother! Perfect match for the boys.
I was daunted by reading the ingredient list, but after seeing the tray of mise en place, I know it’s manageable. That’s a great list of ingredients hiding under a powdered sugar & sprinkle glaze – yum!
we had to get a second elf…
The cookies are so worth making. Like you said, once you collect all the ingredients -and once you make them the first time- they are not that daunting to make.
My mother’s favorite cookie! My Sicilian great grandmother used to make them.
Denise: that’s wonderful. Nonna knows best!
This is the type of cookie I like! I’m glad I don’t bake…I’d probably eat them all!
Joan: baking is such a different “experience” than cooking, a bit less creative, I must say
Love the way you dolled these up for the holidays, they are among my favorite Italian sweets.
Steve: I like how they kind of look like wreaths
See what I have been trying tosay? You understand sophistication. GREG
Greg: aw, thanks for that comment!
merci !
BELLISSIMI! Li ho fatti anch’io a biscotto da portare a degli amici, ma con una forma diversa.
))
BUON ANNO a te e famiglia!!! <3
I have been looking for recipe for these cookies for quite some time.My great-grandma came from Italy(Sicily) years ago & I do remember her making cookies which looked & tasted very similar to these. I’m happy to find this recipe & maybe if I feel energetic enough, I will try to make them this Xmas (2012) for my family & close friends. I love Fig Newtons so I will enjoy the fig,etc. filling in these delightful cookies.I am printing every recipe I can find (I found a couple(go figure)& then will decide which recipe I will follow at Xmas if I do decide to make these cookies.Thanks much folks,you made my day.Have a great Spring & will write at Xmas if they do come out good-I do promise that!! Thanks again. Happy Camper in Conn
[...] are other Italian traditional Christmas sweets I have made in the past, on the blog: Panettone, cuccidati, seadas, monte bianco, ovis mollis or thumbprint [...]