Cuccidati di Mariano( Christmas Cookies )
In Sicily, it is a Christmas tradition that during the Holiday, when you visit a friend or relative, you cannot leave the house without a Cuccidato in hand. Cuccidati may be shaped into circles, squares, rectangles, little nests or baskets, depending upon the preference of the baker. Ingredients
Pastry
3 3/4 Cups Flour - all-purpose unbleached 1/2 Cup Sugar 1 Tsp. Baking Powder 1 Pinch Salt 1/2 Cup Lard, butter or vegetable stuffing 1/2 Cup Milk Filling
1 Lb. Figs - dried 1/2 Cup Pistacchios - roasted and chopped 1/2 Cup Pine nuts - Coarsley chopped 1 Tbl. Orange peel, finely chopped 14 Tsp. Cloves - ground 1/2 Cup Milk 1/2 Tsp. Cinammon - ground 1 Oz. Chocolate - semisweet - chopped 1 Cup Fig syrup [ingredients and recipe below) Glaze
1 Cup sugar - powdered 1/4 Cup Lemon juice Q.B. Colored sprinkles - Optional Makes about 2 dozen
Procedures
Pastry
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in the lard (or butter or vegetable shortening) to a coarse-meal texture. Gradually add the milk, using just enough to make a fairly firm dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Filling
Grind the figs in a food processor or blender. Mix in the filling ingredients, including the fig syrup (see below), until thoroughly blended.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Briefly knead the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Using a pastry wheel, cut it into 4 x 5-inch rectangles. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on each rectangle and fold over lengthwise. Moisten the edges and press them together. Make a series of 1/2-inch cuts along the sealed edge. Slightly curve each cuccidato so that the cut edge fans out and exposes the darker filling. Place the cuccidati on a greased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
As an alternative, briefly knead the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Using a pastry wheel, cut it into 3-inch squares. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of each square. Lift the four corners of each square, and have them meet on top of the filling, making a little basket. Moisten the corners and press them firmly together. Place the cuccidati on a greased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
Glaze
Allow the cuccidati to cool on a baking rack. As the cuccidati cool, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Once the cuccidati have cooled, brush each one with the glaze. If so desired, sprinkle each cuccidato with colored sprinkles.
Fig Syrup
Prepare a winter supply of fig syrup at the end of summer. The ingredients are 2 cups figs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 6 cups of water. Place the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the figs and check the consistency of the syrup. If necessary, continue to boil the syrup until it is reduced to 1 cup.
Last Updated: 09/12/1999 11:50:05 PM