A classic Sicilian cookie enjoyed at Christmas time, cuccidati (Sicilian fig cookies) are all about the delicious filling: a fragrant combination of figs, almonds, raisins, orange marmalade, orange zest, chocolate, cinnamon and honey wrapped in a tender, buttery shortbread dough. The perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Sicilian cuccidati are sometimes referred to as the original fig newton cookies, but are without a doubt much more flavorful. These cookies are truly love at first bite!
Imagine a tender, buttery shortcrust dough wrapped around a sweet and fragrant jam-like combination of figs, raisins, almonds, orange zest, orange marmalade, chocolate, cinnamon, Marsala and honey.
These Italian filled cookies are glazed with orange flavored icing and topped with nonpareils for a beautiful festive look. The ultimate Christmas cookie perfect for your dessert tray!
Origin of Cuccidati cookies
Cuccidati, or cucidati, are originally from Sicily and the Arabic influence on Sicilian cooking is no doubt evident in the filling ingredients.
These fig cookies are also know as buccellati or even buccellato, meaning mouthful. The buccellato contains the same filling ingredients but is ring shaped instead of individually cut cookies and makes for a lovely presentation!
There are lots of possible substitutions and variations for the filling ingredients so do scroll further down for a list of suggestions.
Ingredient list
Cuccidati filling
- Dried figs
- Raisins
- Almonds: roasted
- Orange marmalade
- Dark chocolate: chocolate chips or baker’s chocolate
- Orange zest
- Cinnamon
- Marsala wine
- Honey
For the shortcrust dough
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Butter: unsalted, cold
- Milk
For decorating
- Powdered sugar
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Colored sprinkles (nonpareils)
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the filling
- Soak the dried figs and raisins in a bowl covered with boiled water. Let sit for 30 minutes. During this time, you may prepare the dough.
- Drain the figs and raisins well. Cut off the stems of the figs.
- To help break down the figs, cut them into quarters before adding them, along with the raisins, to the bowl of your food processor.
- Process until they are finely chopped.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients and process until you have a thick jam-like mixture.
- At this point, taste and adjust (if needed) according to your taste. Add more honey for a sweeter filling, more cinnamon, extra chocolate to taste, etc.
- Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cookies.
Prepare the dough
- In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour; sugar; baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter (cold and cut into cubes) and pulse until it is fully incorporated in the flour.
- Stir in the eggs and process to incorporate them.
- With the motor running on slow speed, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time (as needed) until a rough dough takes shape. It will wrap itself around the blade.
- Scrape it onto your counter and knead it to shape into a smooth disc.
- Wrap well and refrigerate for one hour.
Assemble the cookies
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the dough in half. Keep the unused portion well wrapped.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into roughly a 18 inch X 5 inch rectangle. A bench scraper is quite useful at this step.
- To facilitate this task, you may also opt to roll out the dough between two sheets of floured parchment paper.
- Take half the fig filling and roll it into a log long enough to fit the length of the dough. The mixture will be sticky, but can be rolled.
- Place the log on the dough and roll the dough around it, seam side down.
- Cut into one inch pieces and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes until the cookies are golden brown underneath.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing.
Decorate the cookies
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice until smooth.
- To glaze, dip the top of each cookie in the bowl and allow the excess to drip off.
- Alternately, you may use a pastry brush to ice them.
- Sprinkle each cookie with nonpareils (sprinkles).
- Be sure to top with sprinkles as you glaze them otherwise they will not stick as the icing sets.
- Place on a wire rack or parchment covered baking sheet until completely hardened before storing, about one hour.
Recipe Notes
–Dates: replace half the dried figs with dried dates.
–Nuts: use a combination of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts or just one type of your choice. Be sure to roast the nuts for the best flavor.
-Replace orange marmalde with apricot jam.
-Replace orange zest and orange juice (for the icing) with lemon zest and juice.
-Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the filling.
-Add a dash of cloves to the filling.
–Vegetable shortening may be used in place of butter.
-For a quick and easy dough recipe, try the oil based shortcrust dough in this cookie recipe. I did test it out and it works well!
-This recipe may be doubled.
-The dough is slightly tacky, this is normal.
-If it is crumbly when you are trying to roll it, shape back into a disc and refrigerate for 15 minutes longer.
-Flour your work surface when rolling out the dough.
-For easy rolling, roll between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper.
-Use a bench scraper if the dough sticks to your work surface.
Here is my easy strategy for preparing these cookies:
-Prepare the filling and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead.
-Prepare the dough and refrigerate for up to 3 days ahead. Remove the dough from the fridge about an hour prior to assembling the cookies.
-For the dough: combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with your fingers or pastry cutter. Stir in the eggs and milk, 1 tbsp. at a time until a soft dough is formed. Proceed as outlined in the recipe.
-Use a knife to finely chop all filling ingredients: figs; raisins; almonds; chocolate; etc.
-Store cookies in a well sealed container at room temperature for up to one week..
-Freeze cookies in a well sealed container separating layers of cookies with wax paper or parchment paper for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more Italian cookie recipes!
- Classic Almond Biscotti with variations
- Chocolate Pizzelle
- Easy Anise Biscotti Recipe
- Chewy Amaretti Cookies
- Tetù (Sicilian Chocolate Spice Cookies)
- Biscotti Regina
- Italian Nut and Jam Rolled Cookies
- Biscotti di San Martino
- Pistachio Amaretti
- Italian Pizzelle Cookies
- Chocolate Espresso Amaretti
- 3 Ingredient Hazelnut Cookies
- Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Italian Orange Juice Cookies
- Italian Lemon Glazed Cookies
Ingredients
For the fig filling
- 1 cup dried figs 150 grams
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ¾ cup almonds roasted
- ⅓ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or baker's chocolate
- 1 orange, zest of
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine
- 2 tbsp honey
For the dough
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2 tbsp milk
For decorating
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- nonpareils (colored sprinkles) for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Prepare the filling
- Soak the dried figs and raisins in a bowl with boiled water. Let sit for 30 minutes. During this time, you may prepare the dough.
- Drain the figs and raisins well. Cut off the stems from the figs. To help break down the figs, cut them into quarters before adding them, along with the raisins, to the bowl of your food processor. Process until they are finely chopped.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have a thick jam-like mixture.
- At this point, taste and adjust (if needed) according to your taste. Add more honey for a sweeter filling, more cinnamon if you wish this flavor to be more pronounced, more chocolate etc.
- Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cookies.
Prepare the dough
- In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour; sugar; baking powder and salt.
- Add the cold butter (cut into cubes) and pulse until it is fully incorporated in the flour.
- Stir in the eggs and process to incorporate them.
- With the motor running on slow speed, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time (as needed) until a rough dough takes shape. The dough will wrap itself around the blade.
- Scrape it onto your counter and knead it to shape into a smooth disc. Wrap well and refrigerate for one hour.
To assemble
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide the dough in half. Keep the unused portion well wrapped. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into roughly a 18 inch X 5 inch rectangle. A bench scraper may be useful for this step.
- To facilitate this task, you may also opt to roll out the dough between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper.
- Take half the fig filling and roll it into a log long enough to fit the length of the dough. The mixture will be sticky, but can be rolled.
- Place the log on the dough and wrap the dough around it, seam side down. Cut into one inch pieces and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes until the cookies are golden brown underneath. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing.
To decorate
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in the bowl and allow the excess to drip off. Alternately, ice each cookie with a pastry brush.
- Sprinkle each cookie with nonpareils. Top with sprinkles as you glaze the cookies otherwise they will not stick as the icing sets.
- Place on a wire rack or parchment covered baking sheet until completely hardened before storing, about one hour.
Notes
–Nuts: use a combination of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts or just one type of your choice. Be sure to roast the nuts for the best flavor.
-Replace orange marmalde with apricot jam.
-Replace orange zest and orange juice (for the icing) with lemon zest and juice.
-Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the filling.
-Add a dash of cloves to the filling.
–Vegetable shortening may be used in place of butter.
-For a quicker dough recipe, try the oil based shortcrust dough in this cookie recipe. I did test it out and it works well!
-This recipe may be doubled. Tips on handling the dough: -The dough is slightly tacky, this is normal.
-If it is crumbly when you are trying to roll it, shape back into a disc and refrigerate for 15 minutes longer. -Flour your work surface when rolling the dough. -For easy rolling, roll between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. -Use a bench scraper if the dough sticks to your work surface. Can they be prepared ahead? -Prepare the filling and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead.
-Prepare the dough and refrigerate for up to 3 days ahead. Remove the dough from the fridge about an hour before rolling. Can these cookies be made without a food processor? -For the dough: combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with your fingers or pastry cutter. Stir in the eggs and milk, 1 tbsp. at a time until a soft dough is formed. Proceed as outlined in the recipe.
-Use a knife to finely chop all filling ingredients: figs; raisins; almonds; chocolate; etc. Storage -Store cookies in a well sealed container at room temperature for up to one week. Can they be frozen? -Freeze cookies in a well sealed container separating layers of cookies with wax paper or parchment paper for up to 3 months.
These tasted even better than I remember growing up as a kid.
Thank you Jeana for your kind feedback, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed these cookies!
Hi Nadia,
We use the same recipe. Years ago we started using our pasta roller to roll out the dough, it works great and it’s a huge time saver!
Hi Geri, I think I’ll try as well. Thanks for sharing your tip!
Thanks for the great tip! I’m going to try that this year.
Hi Natalie. I realize you have a recipe with fig jam. I have a lot of fig jam and would like to use it in this recipe because I love the flavour profile in this recipe. Will it work with fig jam?
Hello Danny, I have not tried the recipe myself with fig jam however I don’t see why it would not work. Once combined with the nuts and remaining ingredients it should be a thick paste that you can easily roll and place on the dough. Please let me know if you give it a try!
I just want to comment, as I used fig jam Instead of dried figs. The filling is delicious, although not as figgy as I would think it would be with figs. It was a bit looser than what was pictured in the recipe, and it was sweet enough without adding honey. These are my favorite Christmas cookies, and until recently, my now 100 year old Mother in law made them every year. It has just become too difficult for her to manage baking any longer. I did not want the tradition to end, so searched for a recipe that seemed like hers. I didn’t want to ask her because I want to surprise her with them, and prove that her Irish daughter in law can handle this Sicilian recipe which her mother handed down to her.
Hello Maureen, I’m sure they are tasty with the fig jam as well. Perhaps you can add more ground nuts to make it less loose? I do hope your dear mother in law enjoys the lovely surprise, I’m sure she will appreciate your effort. Merry Christmas to you!
These look so wonder and I can’t wait to try them.
My family made a filling with mincemeat, orange, chocolate and smashed chickpeas of all things. The dough had wine in it and we made them like small ravioli and were then deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar. I was so young but I remember them fondly.
These will be made soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hello Natalie, I hope you enjoy them. The recipe you are describing with chickpea filling is for cassatelle and I have that recipe on my blog here: https://www.mangiabedda.com/cassatelle-with-chickpea-and-chocolate-filling/. Thank you for your comment!
Hi Nadia. Can we omit the Marsala all together
Hi Dina, what I love about these cookies is that you can vary the filling ingredients in so many ways. So although the Marsala is quite traditional you can omit it if you prefer. If it’s a question of not having Marsala on hand you can try using rum. If you wish to omit the alcohol altogether, do so. Taste and adjust, perhaps you may want more honey if you find the mixture is dry, just trust your taste buds. Hope you enjoy them!
BRAVA!!
Grazie cara, you definitely inspired me to make these cookies!
Hi Nadia! My mother’s recipe was very similar to this! She used walnuts instead of almonds, rum instead of Masala, and added dates. She also used a whole orange instead of the marmalade She also ground the figs, raisins and dates through a meat grinder. Now that required some arm strength! She always cut them on a diagonal too. I’ve made them a few times, but used a food processor. What a difference it makes! I wasn’t planning on making them this year, but your recipe has inspired me! Thank you!
Hello Luanna, you can definitely vary the ingredients that you add, so many possibilities! And I made both the filling and dough in my food processor, so definitely much easier. I hope you give them a try and thank you for your comment!
Oh wow! Thank you so much! I cannot wait to make these! They look stupendous! This will definitely be a welcome addition to my Christmas cookie baking this year! Thank you!! I am so excited!!!!!
Thank you Annie, we really enjoyed them as well and I have a whole batch frozenfor Christmas. Hope you enjoy them!
Thank you Nadia for posting this recipe. I have fond memories of making them with my Sicilian grandmother every year. She is long gone and as with everything she made, we have no written recipes — its been a long while since I have made them myself. I do remember she used walnuts because she didn’t like almonds. Sometimes she used dark rum instead of Masala if we didn’t have any on hand. Either way they are delicious. I’m looking forward to making them again and with my daughter this Christmas. Buon Natale!
Hello Angela, you are welcome! And the filling can definitely be adapted according to your taste or what you recall that your nonna added to them. Hope you give them a try, let me know how they turn out. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Thanks to you recipe I was able to adapt it what I recall making with my Nonna. It has been a family and friend hit every year. I add a little dark cocoa powder like my Nonna did in addition to the semi-sweet chocolate chips and it boosts the flavor. Buon Natale!
Hello Angela, glad you were able to get it close to those your nonna made. Thanks again for your comment and buon natale to you too!