These Italian chocolate fig cookies, often known as buccelllati or cucidati, are made with a buttery pastry dough, candy fig and almond filling with hints of heat cinnamon and wealthy chocolate chips!
These Italian chocolate fig cookies are one other model of Italian fig cookies, additionally known as cucciddati or cucidati or buccellati. They’re fashionable Sicilian Christmas fig cookies and each family has its personal model!
For this variation of the Sicilian traditional I used a buttery shortcrust pastry dough then crammed it with a date filling with notes of heat cinnamon, almonds and wealthy chocolate chips.
After baking, the Italian fig cookie bundle is then dusted with powdered sugar for a candy deal with that’s good for cookie trays or gifting to buddies and neighbors!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Conventional Buccellati recipe: An Italian Christmas cookie platter will not be full with out some variation of this Italian fig cookie. All through time, households have gathered to make this dessert!
- Versatile: Form the cookie into a big buccellato ring cake, make particular person cookies, form them in an “X” or “arch” and even half-moons or small logs. Add orange or lemon to the filling or attempt a unique nut!
Ingredient Notes
- Cookie dough: For the shortcut pastry you will have flour, baking soda, powdered sugar, salted butter, egg yolks and vanilla.
- Figs: I used about 8-9 figs.
- Mini chocolate chips: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips however you should use chopped darkish chocolate if most popular.
- Chopped almonds: This can be a conventional ingredient however you should use hazelnuts or one other nut if most popular. Roast the nuts for added taste.
- Egg wash: An egg wash with one egg white and water helps seal the pastry dough across the filling.
Find out how to Make Italian Chocolate Fig Cookies
To start out, make the dough by combining the flour, baking soda, powdered sugar and salt in a mixing bowl, then add the egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Combine with the flat beaters to kind a compact dough. Transfer the dough to a flat floor and kind right into a dough ball. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate.
In a small pot over the range make the submitting. Mix the figs, brown sugar, cinnamon and water then cook dinner on low warmth, stirring often till figs are comfortable then both squish with a fork to make a paste or switch to a meals processor and mix till clean.
Take away the pastry dough from the fridge then roll out the dough on a evenly floured flat floor or between two sheets of parchment paper, make the lower outs with a medium spherical cookie cutter. Place among the fig combination in the course of half the rounds, prime with some chocolate chips, cookie crumbs and a few chopped almonds.
Brush the sting of the cookie spherical with the egg wash combination and prime with one other lower out cookie. Seal the perimeters with fingers then with a fork dipped into flour.
Place the cookie bundles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, brush with milk and bake till golden. Cool the chocolate fig cookies on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to chill utterly. Mud with powdered sugar earlier than serving!
Variations
Buccellati Sicilian varies from one family to a different, listed below are some enjoyable variations to the filling you could wish to attempt!
- Nuts: Swap the almonds for hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios or one other nut of alternative.
- Zest: The addition of orange zest or lemon zest is fashionable on this candy deal with.
- Spices: Along with cinnamon, add some allspice and floor cloves.
- Add-ins: Raisins, candied citrus, peach jam, marmalade or apricot jam.
- Alcohol: A splash of marsala or rum would add distinctive taste.
recipe suggestions
- Add some holes or lower a form into the highest piece of dough. This can be a enjoyable option to show the filling inside chocolate fig cookies!
- Make the dough as much as 3 days forward and the filling as much as every week forward of time. Retailer each coated individually within the fridge.
- As a substitute of dusting with powdered sugar, add a glaze and your favourite sprinkles!
- Some recipes skip reconstituting the fig filling and simply mix the elements in a meals processor. I discover the feel much less clean, however you could like the feel.
- Retailer the Italian chocolate fig cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature as much as one week or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Add a layer of parchment paper between every cookie to stop sticking.
Origins of this Christmas Deal with
Fig cookies equivalent to buccellatti or cucidati originate from the area of Sicily the place the cookies had been produced from two native merchandise, Sicilian figs and almonds. Each family has their very own variation of the recipe probably handed down from one era to the subsequent!
These Christmas fig cookies are additionally rooted in historical past as evidenced by the Arab affect of the spices, almonds and figs used within the cookies mixed with the love of dried fruits that had been utilized in many historical Roman pastries. As soon as a conventional Christmas present, now you can discover these pastries 12 months spherical in most areas!
Extra Sicilian Recipes To Strive
Nothing higher then a scrumptious Italian cookie and these chocolate fig cookies are simply that! Get pleasure from.
FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH
- 1½ cups all objective flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup + 2 ½ tablespoons powdered/icing sugar (78 grams whole, in the event you double the recipe then double this quantity)
- 1 pinch salt (in the event you use unsalted butter then use ¼ teaspoon of salt)
- 2 giant egg yolks (room temperature)
- ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons butter (room temperature) (133 grams whole, in the event you double the recipe then double this quantity)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
FILLING
- 1 cup chopped dried figs (8-9 figs) 170g
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- 2-3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips semi candy
- 1-2 tablespoons cookie crumbs
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds
EXTRAS
- 1 giant egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
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In a mixing bowl or meals processor whisk collectively the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt, then add the yolks, butter and vanilla. Pulse or combine with the flat beaters to kind a compact dough. Transfer the dough to a flat floor and kind right into a dough ball. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for roughly 30-60 minutes.
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In a small pot add the figs, sugar, cinnamon and water. Cook dinner on low warmth for roughly 5-10 minutes stirring usually till the figs are comfortable. Squish with a fork to kind a barely lumpy paste. You can too mix till clean if desired.
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In a small bowl beat collectively the egg white and water.
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Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line a big cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Take away the dough from the fridge. Roll the dough on a evenly floured flat floor or between two sheets of parchment paper to a ⅛” thickness (or somewhat thicker in the event you favor), make 26 lower outs with a medium spherical cookie cutter (about 3 inches/7cm).
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Place among the fig combination in the course of 13 rounds, prime with some chocolate chips, cookie crumbs and a few chopped almonds. Brush the sting of the cookie spherical with the egg white combination and prime with a plain spherical lower out cookie. Seal the perimeters with fingers then with the tongs of a fork (dip it in flour so it would not follow the dough). Place the cookies on the ready baking sheet. Brush the cookies with milk and bake for 12-Quarter-hour or till evenly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to chill utterly. Mud with powdered sugar if desired earlier than serving. Get pleasure from!
How lengthy does cookie dough final within the fridge?
Cookie dough will last as long as 3 days wrapped effectively in plastic wrap within the fridge. Some will insist that It is usually a good suggestion to refrigerate the cookie dough for a minimum of 12-24 hours earlier than baking, this creates a extra flavourful cookie.
Find out how to retailer them
The cookies ought to be saved in an hermetic container, they are often stored at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for as much as 4 days. They can be frozen in a freezer protected container, with parchment paper between the layers. They are going to maintain for as much as 6 months.
Energy: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 10g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg | Phosphorus: 45mg
