Italian Fig Cookies

Long a holiday favorite, these traditional Italian fig cookies look daunting, but the end product will be something to be proud of for years to come.

Dried figs are readily available during the holiday season, and here they are simmered with raisins, oranges and apples.

Added in are the fragrant spices so reminiscent of holiday time - cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

The dough is rich with eggs and butter, and the cookies are loaded with pecans for a nutty crunch.

Believe me, the effort is well worth it. The recipe makes a huge amount of cookies, so be sure to freeze some for the times you want something special!

Italian Fig Cookies Recipe

8 cups all purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups unsalted butter, softened, or solid shortening
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
7 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups whole milk

4 pounds dried figs
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
1 pound seedless raisins
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 whole orange, with the peel
1 apple
1 cup water - optional

Cream the granulated sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate them well. Add the vanilla extract and blend it in.

Whisk the baking powder and kosher salt into the flour. Beat the flour into the butter and sugar mixture, on low speed if using a mixer with a paddle attachment.

Gradually start adding the milk until the dough is very soft and pliable. You can also do this with a wooden spoon, or by hand, kneading the dough after every addition of milk.

Separate the dough into 4 pieces and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them for at least and hour until the butter begins to harden a little. This will make it easier to roll out.

Cut the dried figs into small pieces. Core the apple and chop it, leaving the skin on. Cut the orange in pieces, including the peel, but removing any seeds. Try to save any juice from the orange.

Grind the figs, orange, apple and the raisins in a food processor.

Add the collected orange juice and add water if the mixture looks too dry or too thick, but don't exceed 1 cup.

You may need to process the fruits in batches, depending on the size of your food processor. If you have a grinder attachment for your electric mixer, pass the fruit through a medium-small blade.

Put all the ground fruit in a large bowl and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Stir in the chopped pecans - you might have to use your hands to mix them in so that they are thoroughly incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Unwrap 1 of the pieces of dough and roll it out on a floured work surface in a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Spoon a generous line of fig filling down one of the long sides of the rectangle and roll the dough around the fruit.

Cut the rolled dough into cookies, about 1/2 inch thick, on the diagonal. Lay each sliced cookie on an ungreased baking sheet and make 2 or 3 diagonal slits in the dough of each cookie.

Repeat with the other pieces of dough and fruit filling.

Bake in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Let the cookies sit for a minute on the sheet pans, then remove them to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Good To Know - You may have excess dough left over. Just roll up the scraps and either cut into strips, or use cookie cutters in your favorite shape. Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes, and finish them with a little powdered sugar frosting or candy sprinkles.

Food For Thought - This italian fig cookies recipe is easily halved. Keep this in mind, because the yield for the full recipe may be more cookies than you actually want to make at one time.

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