Cuccidati are Italian Fig Cookies traditionally served during Christmas. They’re stuffed with a delicious mixture of dried figs, nuts, honey and citrus, and topped with glaze and sprinkles.
About the Recipe
Cuccidati cookies originate in Sicily and were part of my Siclian nonna’s repertoire during the Christmas season. The outside of the cookie is made of pasta frolla, an Italian sweet shortcrust pastry. For my version, I prefer to use butter, however, my mother recalls that my grandmother actually used shortening after moving to the United States. This choice may be due to the fact that traditional recipes often used lard, and shortening is a closer substitute than butter.
Cuccidati come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from rectangles to bear claws to “X” shapes to wreaths. Depending on the shape, these fig cookies may also be referred to as Buccellati, which translates to little bracelets.
Other Italian desserts I love to make during the holiday season include Panettone, Knot Cookies, Classic Cannoli and Nutella Cannoli. Whether we make Panettone or buy it, my Panettone Bread Pudding is my go to for leftovers. My nonna also used to love leaving Struffoli for Santa when I was growing up, so I’ll have to come up with my own version soon.
Ingredient Notes and Variations
Dried fruits– After taste-testing several versions of these cookies, I prefer to use 100% dried figs. I used black mission figs in this particular recipe, but any light or dark dried fig would work. Many recipes also include a small portion of raisins (light or dark), dates and even apricots.
Nuts– My favorite are toasted walnuts, perhaps because that’s what my nonna used, but feel free to substitute half of the nuts for almonds or hazelnuts.
Flour– All-purpose flour works great, but if you happen to have Italian 00 Flour available, I’d recommend it for its delicate texture.
Citrus– Despite popular opinion, I like using lemon zest rather than orange zest to flavor these fig cookies. You could even use a combination of both. Candied citrus is also a popular addition.
Honey– I recommend using a more mild flavored honey such as orange blossom, acacia or wildflower. You can also substitute half of the honey for orange marmalade or apricot jam, if you enjoy those flavors.
Marsala wine– The sweet variety of this Sicilian fortified wine compliments the flavor in the cuccidati so well. I’ve also used rum and brandy, and have seen a couple recipes that call for white wine. Use whatever you have on hand. To keep the recipe alcohol free, simply use fresh orange juice or water.
Spices– Ground cinnamon and cloves provide a wonderful warming flavor that’s so fitting for the holiday season. A bit of nutmeg would also work well.
Chocolate– The fig cookies I grew up with didn’t have chocolate, but my favorite iteration of these cookies that I’ve tested certainly did! If you’re a chocolate lover, try adding a small amount of semi-sweet, dark chocolate to the filling. Simply add some chopped chocolate in the food processer when you process the nuts. I like making half of a batch with the chocolate and half without to have some variety.
Recipe Steps
To start, prepare the sweet shortcrust pastry dough (pasta frolla). You can either use a food processer or make it by hand with a pastry cutter. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cold cubes of butter and toss with the flour to coat (1). Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into smaller pieces until all pieces range from the size of coarse crumbs to small peas (2).
Add in the egg, vanilla and just enough milk to help the dough come together (3). Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a square disc. Cover with plastic wrap (4) and refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours or up to 24 hours to all the dough to rest and chill.
As the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325F. Toast the walnuts in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant (5). Allow the nuts to cool completely. Then, add them to a food processer, along with the spices and salt (add chocolate in this step, if using), and process until finely ground (6). Next, add the figs and process until finely chopped (7). Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until a thick paste forms (8).
After the dough chills, cut it in half and return 1 piece to the fridge. Roll out the other half of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 7 x 9 inch rectangle (9). The dough should be ~3/16 inch thick. Trim off the rough edges and cut the dough in half lengthwise (10-11).
Pipe the fig filling across the center of the dough (12). Repeat with the other strip of dough. Fold the dough over the filling and roll to completely incase filling (13-14). Place on prepared baking sheet, seam side down (15). Cut the log into 1 ½ inch long cookies (16).
Place on prepared baking sheet spread 1-2 inches apart (17). Bake in the center rack of the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for 4-6 minutes or until golden on top and lightly browned on the bottom (18). Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
Allow the cookies to cool. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla for the glaze (19). Spoon the glaze over the cookies and top with sprinkles (20).
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- If your figs are particularly dry, I suggest soaking the figs in hot water before making the filling.
- Customize this recipe to your liking. You can omit the chocolate, add more orange flavor and use the best alcohol you have on hand. See my recipe notes for suggestions.
- For smaller cookies, cut into 1 inch lengths instead of 1 ½ inches.
Cuccidati contain a filling made of dried figs, nuts, honey and citrus wrapped in a flour, sugar and butter based dough.
Cuccidati originated in Sicily and Southern Italy. It’s thought that the recipe has Arab influences from the time there was Muslim rule over Sicily, as evidenced by the use of dried fruit, orange and spices.
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Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
- Total Time: 4 ½ hours
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
Cuccidati are Italian Fig Cookies served during Christmas. They’re stuffed with a delicious mixture of dried figs, nuts, honey and citrus.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ¾ cups (230g) ‘00’ flour (or all-purpose flour)
- ⅓ cup (80g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (¼ teaspoon fine salt)
- 1 stick (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoon cold milk, as needed
Filling:
- ½ cup (60g) walnuts
- 1 oz (30g) semi-sweet dark chocolate, roughly chopped (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground cloves
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (⅛ teaspoon fine salt)
- 8 oz (225g) dried figs, stems removed
- Zest of one lemon (or orange)
- ¼ cup (85g) honey (I like orange blossom, acacia and wildflower honey)
- 1–2 tablespoon sweet Marsala wine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 2 ½ –3 ½ tablespoon milk (can sub with fresh lemon or orange juice)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Rainbow or Christmas-colored Nonpareil Sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Start the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well-combined. Add butter and toss to coat in flour mixture. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until crumbly. The butter should range from the size of small peas and to coarse cornmeal. Work quickly so the butter stays cold. You can also do this step using a food processor.
- Finish the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and gently incorporate together, using a fork. If there are still dry patches of flour, add 1-2 tablespoon of milk, as needed, until the dough just comes together. The dough should hold together when pinched between your fingers, but should not be overly moist or sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a square, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours or until firm. You can chill the dough up to 24 hours.
- Toast the nuts. Preheat oven to 325F. Toast nuts on a baking sheet on the center rack for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Cool on a wire rack.
- Optional step. If your dried figs are particularly hard and dry, place figs in a bowl and pour over enough hot water to cover. Let stand for 15-30 minutes until softened, and drain excess water. I did not need to do this with the figs I used.
- Make the filling. Add nuts, chocolate (if using), cinnamon, cloves and salt to a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add figs and process until finely chopped. Add honey, 1 tablespoon of Marsala, vanilla and lemon zest, and blend until a spreadable paste forms. Add remaining tablespoon of Marsala if consistency is too thick. Cover and set aside until ready to use. You can also do this step by hand, but it is quite labor intensive.
- Prep for baking. After the dough is chilled and firm, preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking trays with silpats or parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough. Cut dough in half. Place one half of dough back into the fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll out the other half of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 7 x 9 inch (18 x 23 cm) rectangle. The dough should be ~3/16 inch thick (½ cm). Trim off any rough edges using a pizza cutter or knife. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. If the dough becomes too warm to work with, refrigerate before proceeding to the next step.
- Add the filling. Spoon the filling into a disposable pastry bag and cut a 1 inch opening. Pipe half of the fig filling along the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and roll to completely incase filling. Gently press the dough together along the seam. Place on a prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes so it’s easier to neatly cut the cookies. While the log of dough chills, repeat steps 7-8 with the remaining dough and filling. You can use a ziplock bag instead of a pastry bag, or just use a spoon to place the filling over the dough.
- Cut the cookies. Remove chilled log of dough from the fridge. Trim off the edges and cut into 1 ½ inch (3 ¾ cm) long cookies. Arrange on a lined baking sheet 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for 4-6 minutes or until golden on top and lightly browned on the bottom. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake in batches, as needed.
- Decorate the cookies. In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Use enough milk to create a thick, yet runny glaze. Spoon glaze over each cookie. Top with sprinkles. Enjoy.
Notes
‘00’ flour is the traditional flour used for these cookies and provides a light, delicate texture, but all-purpose flour works well too.
If you’re in Italy, you can substitute Vanillina for vanilla extract in the dough and glaze. Mix the Vanillina with the dry ingredients instead of the wet ingredients. A few drops of Fior di Sicilia can be substituted for vanilla extract in the fig filling.
You’ll often see this recipe with half walnuts and half almonds, and occasionally even with some hazelnuts. After taste testing several variations, I suggest only using walnuts rather than spending money on multiple types of nuts.
These cookies are amazing with and without the chocolate, so chocolate is a completely optional ingredient, depending on your preference.
Many recipes use a combination of figs and raisins in the filling. I tried a version with 1oz of raisins and 7oz of dried figs which worked well, but it was difficult for me to discern a difference in flavor. To simplify things, I like to use only dried figs just like my nonna.
If you prefer a stronger citrus or orange flavor, try orange zest instead of lemon zest. You can also substitute half of the honey with orange marmalade or apricot jam. In the glaze, you can use fresh lemon or orange juice instead of milk. I have tried all of these variations, so it just depends on your preference.
If you don’t have sweet Marsala wine on hand, you can substitute it with brandy or dark rum. For an alcohol free version, use fresh orange juice or water instead.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Inactive Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 33g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
I have fond memories of making Cuccidati with my mother, who was born in Sicily, every Christmas growing up. My mom and her 3 sisters would all get together and there would 2 days of making the filling and dough. They were always delicious and we could never get enough of them! I carried the tradition over with my children and share them with family and friends at Christmas. I’m grateful to my mom, who has since passed,that she taught me how to make them! Great memories.
Hi Connie. Thank you so much for sharing your story! It makes me so happy to hear about others’ fond memories of making cuccidati 🙂