Italian Fig Cookies, traditionally known as Cucidati, have become a new Christmas tradition this year. These are the fanciest, most delicious not-too-sweet fig cookies that will wow your guests this holiday season.
Jump to:
While I never met her, I've heard many stories about my great grandmother Florence who used to make do with very little. At Christmastime, she would make very simple cookies using a raisin filling wrapped in pie dough called Brambles. My great aunt Muriel passed them down to other members of the family and they are part of the Gile family lore, but not often made as they are a labor of love.
This recipe for Italian Fig Cookies remind me of Brambles in a way, but the flavors are more elaborate since the filling is loaded with figs, dates, golden raisins, almonds, honey, orange marmalade and cinnamon. The dough for Cucidati is so lovely to work with and it's tender to the bite, too. I was afraid the thick fruit filling would ooze out of the cookies and make a mess in the oven and was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn't the case. Baking these cookies is guaranteed to make your home smell like Christmas!
When I'm putting together my Christmas cookie spread, I choose several simple to make recipes such as Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies, Funfetti Crinkle Cookies, or Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
Then, I select one more challenging but impressive recipe, like these Italian Fig Cookies. These are a bit time consuming, but so worth it!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Eggs
- Sun Maid California Mission-Figs
- Pitted Dates
- Golden Raisins
- Orange
- Candied Orange Peel
- Blanched Almonds
- Dark Spiced Rum
- Sprinkles (optional)
From the pantry: all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, powdered sugar
For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.
Instructions
- Prepare the dough ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Chop the figs in half and remove the hard stem.
- Add the filling ingredients to the food processor and pulse until combined.
- Roll out the dough into rectangular strips.
- Spoon the filling down the center of the dough strips.
- Roll up and place on a cookie sheet seam side down.
- Cut into 1-½ pieces.
- Bake at 350-degrees F for 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Make the icing with fresh squeezed orange juice and powdered sugar.
Pro Tip: If the figs are sticking to your knife, run it under hot water every now and then.
Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Here is what you will need to make these traditional Italian cookies, in addition to measuring spoons, a liquid measuring cup, and dry measuring cups:
- Baking Sheet
- Food Processor
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Santoku Knife
Be sure to check out my Juggling Act Mama Storefront on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of great products that will make your life easier! Thanks so much for being a part of Juggling Act Mama ❤
Variations
I found many variations for Christmas Fig Cookies, Cucidati, and Sicilian Fig Cookies when I was doing research online. Because we test all our recipes, we recommend that you make them once just as it is without substitutions or changes. Sometimes variations can go awry.
Making our Italian Fig Cookies as we have tested them will yield the best results. If you really want to get creative, here are some ideas for variations that might work well. (Please note, we have not tested these variations).
- If you prefer a less sweet cookie, omit the honey in the filling recipe.
- Instead of orange juice, use lemon juice, along with the zest, to play up the citrus notes in the cookies.
- If you do not want to use the rum, substitute it for more orange juice, but add some additional spices. Taste the mixture to see if you need to adjust and add other spices such as nutmeg and allspice or additional cinnamon to make up for the flavor.
Similar Recipes
Here are some of our favorite cookie recipes that are perfect for the holidays:
- Homemade Twix Cookies
- Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
- Chocolate Almond Biscotti
- Pumpkin Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Ornament Sugar Cookies
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Italian Fig Cookies
Make Italian Fig Cookies a part of your Christmas tradition this year! Don't let the number of ingredients and steps deter you from making these Italian Fig Cookies. Make the dough ahead of time to shorten the process (it's easier to work with when it's cold anyhow). The filling all goes into your food processor and comes together easily. These goodies are worth the time and effort!
Italian Fig Cookies
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (1 stick / ½ cup)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the fig filling:
- 1 cup dried diced Calimyrna or Mission figs stems removed
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates finely chopped
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup orange juice, fresh squeezed about 1 orange
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
- ⅓ cup unblanched almonds
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons dark spiced rum
- 1 teaspoon candied orange peel
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice, fresh squeezed just enough to make a glaze you can slowly drizzle
- Sprinkles for decoration if desired
Instructions
For the dough:
- Add the flour, baking powder, sugars, and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to mix.2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add a little of the butter at a time, pulsing in between to combine.4 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse until the dough forms a ball.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide in half. Wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
For the filling:
- Toast the unblanched almonds in a skillet for a couple of minutes until you smell their nuttiness. Remove from the heat.⅓ cup unblanched almonds
- Remove any hard stems from the figs and cut into a quarters.1 cup dried diced Calimyrna or Mission figs stems removed
- Into the food processor, add the prepared figs, pitted dates, toasted almonds, orange marmalade, golden raisins, candied orange peel, honey, dark rum, orange juice, honey, and cinnamon.1 cup dried diced Calimyrna or Mission figs stems removed, 1 cup chopped pitted dates finely chopped, ½ cup golden raisins, ½ cup orange juice, fresh squeezed, ¼ cup orange marmalade, ⅓ cup unblanched almonds, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons dark spiced rum, 1 teaspoon candied orange peel, ¼ cup honey
- Pulse until the mixture is combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle and add the fig filling down the middle using a rubber spatula.
- Roll the dough into a long log, placing it seam-side down.
- Cut the dough into 1-½" pieces and place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the glaze
- In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar and orange juice. Whisk until the glaze is thickened. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a little more juice.2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice, fresh squeezed, Sprinkles for decoration if desired
- Brush the top of each cooled cookie with the glaze. Add nonpareils or other sprinkles onto the top and let the glaze harden.
Tips for Storing and Making Ahead
- Once the glaze has hardened, store the cookies in an airtight container. Use parchment paper to layer the cookies.
- The dough can be made a day or two ahead, if desired. Be sure the dough is wrapped well in plastic wrap before refrigerating.
- Finished unglazed cookies can be frozen for a couple of weeks, but the glaze should be put on after they thaw.
Lori williams says
My husband and I love figs so I tried this recipe. He was so surpised to see a plate of them on the counter today!
Ang Paris says
They are similar but I'd say they're so much better since they're homemade! 🙂
J says
I never used figs in a recipe, only to eat for a snack. After seeing these yummy Italian fig cookies...now I want to bake them soon!
Natalie S says
I have never used California Figs before, but these pastry like cookies look so good. I love figs in baked goods, so I would definitely try this recipe.
Maryann D. says
My grandmother used to make Fig Cookies years ago! this recipe is very similar, thank you!
Stephanie H. says
My grandmother used to make something like this but I never knew the name. I tried them and they taste just like hers, thank you!
Pamela says
Those Italian Fig Cookies look amazing! Will definitely be making a batch of two.
Derek Miller says
Honestly after seeing your recipe I really wanted to give it a try. I got all the ingredients and my kids and I spent some time making them together.
The cookies were good and the memories are great 🙂
Robin Abrams says
We love fig cookies and this recipe is perfect. A little time consuming but not too hard.
Kathryn Finn says
This is an amazing recipe, thank you!
Angela says
Can you use fresh frozen figs along with the dried figs, raisins and dates for the filling? Does it change the texture of the ground up fig mixture?
Ang Paris says
Hi Angela, I have not tried making this filling with fresh frozen figs. My concern would be excess moisture in the filling honestly.
Richie Romano says
The best fig cookie recipe I've ever made . Fyi- I used fresh figs from my tree and made them into preserves than followed the recipe. Everyone loved them and said they were the best I made! Thanks for sharing! Happy holidays!
Ang Paris says
Hi Richie, thanks so much for your comment - it totally made my day 🙂 I hadn't considered making these with fig jam or preserves - what a great idea! (And I'm jealous you have access to fresh figs!)