Best 4 Sicilian Fig Cookies Buccellati Recipes

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Sicilian fig cookies, also known as Buccellati, are a traditional Italian pastry that originated in the region of Sicily. These delightful cookies are characterized by their unique pinwheel shape, filled with a sweet and flavorful fig filling. The dough is made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and spices, resulting in a tender and crumbly texture. The filling is typically made with dried figs, sugar, nuts, and spices, creating a rich and aromatic flavor. Buccellati are often decorated with a lattice pattern on top, adding an elegant touch to their appearance. These cookies are commonly enjoyed during the holiday season, especially around Christmas and Easter, and are a beloved treat among Sicilians and food enthusiasts worldwide.

In this article, we will explore two variations of the Sicilian fig cookie recipe. The first recipe follows the traditional method of making Buccellati with a sweet fig filling, while the second recipe offers a unique twist by incorporating chocolate chips into the filling. Both recipes provide step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process, ensuring successful results. Whether you are a seasoned baker or a beginner looking to impress your loved ones, these recipes will provide you with all the necessary information to create authentic and flavorful Sicilian fig cookies. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Sicily.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES



Sicilian Fig Cookies image

A delicious fig-filled pastry. You may substitute the figs with dried apricots or dates. Hazelnuts can also be used in place of the walnuts.

Provided by Letricia

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Yield 72

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
2 cups chopped dried figs
1 cup raisins
1 large orange
2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
1 cup honey
½ cup dark rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps:

  • To make Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Stir into a smooth dough. Remove dough from bowl and shape into a circle. Cut into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic and chill.
  • To make the Filling: Use the zest and juice of the orange and place in large bowl. Mix in figs, raisins and nuts. Process in food processor until evenly chopped. Stir in honey, rum and cinnamon, and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 8-inch wide strip about 1/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise in half, forming two long strips, each about 4 inches wide. Lay strips on work surface. Brush top inch of each with cold water. About 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the dough, place 1/4 of the filling in a 1-inch wide strip, running from end to end. Fold the moistened edge of the dough over the filling and press to seal edges. Cut each strip into 1-inch rectangles and place on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining sections of dough.
  • Bake 13 to 16 minutes, or until tops are golden. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 107.1 calories, Carbohydrate 14.7 g, Cholesterol 12 mg, Fat 5 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 28.8 mg, Sugar 9.8 g

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES (BUCCELLATI)



Sicilian Fig Cookies (Buccellati) image

Also known as cuccidati or turtigliuna, buccellati are Sicily's best-known Christmas cookie. Martha fills the buttery dough with a delicious combination of figs, pecans, and raisins.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes 50

Number Of Ingredients 23

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
3 large eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
1 cup dried Black Mission figs, stems removed
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brandy
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
2 large egg whites, beaten
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps:

  • Dough: In a food processor, pulse together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Add eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, and orange zest; pulse until a dough forms. If dough seems dry, add remaining 1 tablespoon milk.
  • Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
  • Filling: In a food processor, pulse together figs, raisins, honey, brandy, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange zest, vanilla, and salt until a thick paste forms. Transfer paste to a bowl and stir in pecans. Measure a heaping 1/4 cup of filling, place on a piece of plastic wrap, and roll into a log about 10 inches long. Freeze until firm. Repeat process with remaining filling (you should have 10 logs).
  • Working with one rectangle of dough at a time, place dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment. Roll out dough to a 15-by-10-inch rectangle, a scant 1/4 inch thick. Transfer parchment to a baking sheet; refrigerate 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.
  • Cut each rectangle of dough crosswise into five 3-inch-wide strips. Position one strip of dough on work surface with long sides parallel to edge of work surface. Place one log of filling along the upper edge of the long side of each strip. Fold remaining dough over filling to enclose. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 2-inch pieces. Using a paring knife, make 2 cuts on one side of each piece, being careful not to cut all the way through. Shape each piece into a crescent, with the cuts on the outside of the crescent. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating halfway through, until bottoms are brown and tops are light golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
  • Glaze: Whisk together egg whites and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a very small round tip. Pipe glaze over cookies; let stand until set. Glazed cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment, at room temperature up to 2 days.

CUCCIDATI (SICILIAN FIG COOKIES)



Cuccidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies) image

Make and share this Cuccidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies) recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Phil Franco

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h20m

Yield 40 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 19

4 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
12 ounces dried figs, finely diced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup candied orange, diced
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small dice
1/3 cup apricot preserves
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove, ground
egg wash
2 eggs
1 pinch salt
multi-colored candy sprinkles (optional)

Steps:

  • Directions:.
  • Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Run the blade a few times to mix.
  • Add the butter to the bowl and pulse to combine. Add the eggs, and run the blade until forming a consistent dough.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and wrap in a plastic foil. Place in the refrigerator.
  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the figs, raisins, candied orange, almonds, chocolate, apricot preserve, rum, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse the blade until a smooth compound is obtained.
  • Transfer the fig paste to a bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
  • Prepare the egg wash by beating the eggs with a pinch of salt.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and unwrap it on a floured work surface. Add a small quantity of flour. Knead the dough to make it soft and smooth.
  • Cut the dough into 10 - 12 pieces. With the help of a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a rectangle approximately 3 x 15 inch (7 x 35 cm).
  • Brush the egg wash on the dough.
  • Place approximately 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the rectangle lengthwise.
  • Take one edge of the dough and bring it over the filling to form a roll.
  • With the palm of your hands roll the cylinder to make it even.
  • Cut the roll into 4-5 pieces approximately 3 - 4 inch (8 - 10 cm) long. Set them aside. Continue forming the rolls until all the dough and the filling are used.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut 4 - 5 diagonal incisions on the surface of the rolls. You can also cut straight incisions on the surface of the rolls, and curve the cookies in a "U" shape.
  • Transfer the rolls to 3 cookie pans lined with parchment paper.
  • Brush the surface with the remaining egg wash.
  • Optionally sprinkle with multicolored nonpareil.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer onto racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 161.6, Fat 7.6, SaturatedFat 3.9, Cholesterol 43.9, Sodium 122.9, Carbohydrate 21.2, Fiber 1.6, Sugar 8.7, Protein 3.2

BUCCELLATI (SICILIAN CHRISTMAS FIG COOKIES) RECIPE



Buccellati (Sicilian Christmas Fig Cookies) Recipe image

Provided by MooK

Number Of Ingredients 22

For the pastry and decorating:
5 cups (600 grams) flour
1 1/2 cups (180 grams) confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
7 ounces (200 grams) chilled butter or lard, diced
3 eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten
2 egg whites
2 1/2 cups (310 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons colored sprinkles (optional)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)
For the filling:
1 pound (17 ounces or 500 grams) dried figs
1 cup (5 ounces or 150 grams) raisins
1/2 cup (2 ounces or 60 grams) unsalted pistachios, shelled
1/4 cup (1 ounce or 35 grams) pine nuts
1 cup (4 ounces or 120 grams) walnut kernels
1/3 cup (4 ounces or 125 grams) honey
2/3 cup (200 grams) orange marmalade or apricot jam
Zest of 2 oranges
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Steps:

  • Place the figs in a bowl and pour boiling water over them; let them sit for at least 15 minutes to soften. Drain figs and remove the stems with a sharp knife before chopping roughly. Place in a food processor and blitz until you have a paste, then transfer to a bowl. Place the walnuts and pistachios in the food processor and chop finely but still a little rough; don't go too far to turn this into a paste too. Add to the figs, along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Combine well and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours at least, but better overnight to let the flavors develop. For the pastry: Place first four ingredients in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture (or pulse in a food processor) until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and yolk and combine until you have a smooth dough. If it is a little too sticky, add a small amount of flour until it no longer sticks to your hands. If it's dry or crumbly, add some cold water, a little at a time until it comes together. Wrap firmly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest and chill, at least 1 hour but better overnight. To assemble: Cut the chilled dough into 4 to 6 smaller portions and work one portion at a time (keeping the others wrapped in plastic and chilled). Roll first into a sausage shape, then flatten and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a long rectangle, no more than an 1/8-inch thick. Place filling along the middle of the rectangle lengthways in a long, thin log shape, no more than an inch wide. Roll the pastry around it to enclose completely, overlapping just a little bit. Trim off the extra pastry. Roll the log gently with the palms of your hands to seal the edges and tighten/lengthen the log ever so slightly. Cut 3-inch pieces of the log with a diagonal cut. (It helps if both the pastry and the filling are chilled, so if possible, work a bit at a time and keep chilled anything that you are not using). Prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper. To make an X shape, use a very sharp knife to cut about 1 1/4-inch incision from top and bottom of the logs (leaving about 3/4 inch uncut in the middle) and separate gently to form an 'X'. To make an arch, make 1/2-inch incisions along the side of the log, then gently bend to form into an arch. Place cookies on baking sheet and bake at 350º F (180º C) for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is just beginning to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. In the meantime, prepare the glaze (if using). With a fork, beat the whites until they become frothy. Add the 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar until you have a smooth paste the consistency of honey. Add more sugar if not thick enough and, if necessary, you can strain the mixture through a sieve again to make it perfectly smooth. Spoon or brush the glaze over the tops of the cookies and either leave as they are or top with a pinch of chopped pistachios or colored sprinkles. You could also simply dust with confectioner's sugar. Place the glazed cookies back on the baking tray and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the glaze feels dry and set. Let cool completely before serving. Keep in an airtight container.

Tips:

  • Use fresh, ripe figs for the best flavor and texture.
  • If you can't find fresh figs, you can use dried figs. Just be sure to soak them in hot water for 30 minutes before using.
  • Don't overwork the dough. If you do, the cookies will be tough.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This will make it easier to work with.
  • Bake the cookies until they are golden brown. If you overbake them, they will be dry and crumbly.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before storing them. This will help them keep their shape and texture.

Conclusion:

Sicilian fig cookies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat. They are perfect for any occasion, from a simple snack to a special dessert. With their sweet, chewy texture and delicate fig flavor, these cookies are sure to please everyone. So next time you are looking for a delicious and unique cookie recipe, give these Sicilian fig cookies a try. You won't be disappointed!

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