Mmm, cucidati! Cucidati (pronounced koo-chi-dah-tee) are traditional Sicilian fig cookies traditionally served around the holidays. Imagine a fig newton but about a million and a half times better. My family makes these every year, and I want to share this recipe with you. While other traditional cucidati recipes use milk and eggs (and sometimes rum), this one is 100% vegan, and perfect for any holiday occasion.
FILLING
2 14-oz packages of dried figs
4 cups water
2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 tsp cloves
3 Tbsp grape jelly (I used organic, but the original recipe
probably uses Smuckers. Most of the traditional recipes I looked at used raisins and honey, but the jelly works well and is vegan)
1 tsp fresh orange zest
DOUGH - to use all the filling, you can double this.
4 c flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
1 c vegan butter
One flax egg (3 T water and 1 T golden flax meal, mixed and set aside for 10 min.
2/3 c water
1 t vanilla
GLAZE
1/8 c water (or less)
1 c powdered sugar
1 pkg of sugar sprinkles or other festive decoration
2 14-oz packages of dried figs
4 cups water
2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 tsp cloves
3 Tbsp grape jelly (I used organic, but the original recipe
probably uses Smuckers. Most of the traditional recipes I looked at used raisins and honey, but the jelly works well and is vegan)
1 tsp fresh orange zest
DOUGH - to use all the filling, you can double this.
4 c flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
1 c vegan butter
One flax egg (3 T water and 1 T golden flax meal, mixed and set aside for 10 min.
2/3 c water
1 t vanilla
GLAZE
1/8 c water (or less)
1 c powdered sugar
1 pkg of sugar sprinkles or other festive decoration
1. Boil water while removing stems from figs. Immerse figs in boiling water and remove from heat. Let sit for about 10 min.
2. Place figs in a food processor with walnuts, cloves, jelly, and orange zest. Add just enough of the fig water to keep the food processor from seizing up, maybe ¼ cup. Puree until smooth and thick. Set filling mixture aside
3. Combine dry ingredients, including sugar.
4. Add shortening into dry ingredients and cut until you get little pellets. There are tools meant for this, but two knives work just fine. Add flax egg to flour, along with vanilla and salt. Mix until dough forms a mass, but no more. Refrigerate if you’re not going to use it right away.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Roll out 1/4 of the dough on a floured surface into a long 3-inch wide strip. Lay a stripe of filling along the center of the strip, about 3/4 in. thick. Take one edge of the dough and fold it just over the filling. Slice off the other edge of the dough. You should have a long sushi roll of cookie that you should slice into 3-inch sections. 7. Make 2 slits on the round edge of each cookie and bend the edges to expose the filling.
8. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes, until bottoms are a little brown and dough is slightly , and with a pastry brush, glaze each cookie and decorate with sprinkles.
9. Enjoy!
2. Place figs in a food processor with walnuts, cloves, jelly, and orange zest. Add just enough of the fig water to keep the food processor from seizing up, maybe ¼ cup. Puree until smooth and thick. Set filling mixture aside
3. Combine dry ingredients, including sugar.
4. Add shortening into dry ingredients and cut until you get little pellets. There are tools meant for this, but two knives work just fine. Add flax egg to flour, along with vanilla and salt. Mix until dough forms a mass, but no more. Refrigerate if you’re not going to use it right away.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Roll out 1/4 of the dough on a floured surface into a long 3-inch wide strip. Lay a stripe of filling along the center of the strip, about 3/4 in. thick. Take one edge of the dough and fold it just over the filling. Slice off the other edge of the dough. You should have a long sushi roll of cookie that you should slice into 3-inch sections. 7. Make 2 slits on the round edge of each cookie and bend the edges to expose the filling.
8. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes, until bottoms are a little brown and dough is slightly , and with a pastry brush, glaze each cookie and decorate with sprinkles.
9. Enjoy!
Isaiah Pinzino
