Best Italian Cookie Recipes

This is one of the best Italian cookie recipes I know of.

It's a version of the classic Sicilian holiday dessert known as cuccidati and will delight friends and family who are not familiar with these fig cookies.

Heaping mounds of spiced golden raisins and almonds are wrapped in a buttery dough, then baked and dusted with powdered sugar. Milk and eggs ensure the cookies get brown and crispy in the oven, and repeated requests for more cuccidati let you know that these fig cookies are a hit.

The Best Italian Cookie Recipes - Italian Fig Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups dried figs, chopped
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup hot water

Whisk together the all purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the baking powder. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut in the butter and vegetable shortening until the mixture is coarsely blended and the shortening resembles small peas.

Whisk together the milk and the beaten egg, then stir this mixture into the dough until it comes together in a sticky ball. Divide the ball into 2 pieces, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for about 2 hours or until it has stiffened and is easy to handle.

While the dough is refrigerating, make the fig filling.

Combine the chopped dates, golden raisins and slivered almonds. Coarsely chop them in a food processor or blender. Chopping the dates ahead of time makes them the same size as the raisins and easier to grind.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, cinnamon and pepper. Pour in the hot water and stir to blend. Cover the bowl with plastic and set it aside until the dough is ready.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Lightly flour a work surface.

Roll out the first piece of dough into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut this square into 12 rectangles which are 3 x 4 inches.

Put a heaping tablespoon of the fig filling at one of the short ends of a rectangle, then roll it up and place it seam side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining rectangles and the second ball of dough.

You should have 24 cookies.

Bend each rolled cookie into a slight U shape. With scissors or a sharp knife, snip 3 small vents along the outer edge of the curve on the top of the cookie. Bake the cookies in the hot oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown. Dust with the powdered sugar.

Food For Thought -Make a simple glaze with the powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spoon or brush a little glaze over each cookie while they are still warm.

For the holidays, you can decorate the glazed or powdered cookies with colorful sprinkles.