Cuccidati (Sicilian Turnover Cookies Filled with Chopped Figs, Nuts and Raisins) My Mom use to make these when she was alive so good! ************************************* Ingredients: All Purpose Pre-sifted Flour (6 ¼ cups) Sugar (1 cup) Milk (1 cup) Vegetable Shortening (1 cup) Eggs (2 extra large) Baking Powder (3 heaping tsp) Salt (½ tsp) For the filling: Dried Figs (3 cups -chopped, pressed firm) Golden Raisins (¾ cup -chopped, pressed firm) Dark Raisins (¾ cup -chopped, pressed firm) Candied Orange Peel or Citron (¾ cup -chopped, pressed firm) Walnuts (1 1/2 cups) Almonds (1 ½ cups) Hazelnuts (1 ½ cups) Honey (1 ½ cups) Cinnamon (1 tsp) Arancello or Grand Marinier (2 tbs) Warm the milk in a saucepan on the stove top, remove it from the burner, stir in the sugar and salt, and let it cool completely. Meanwhile, sift together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Then, cut the shortening into the flour and work it with your hands until the texture is like oatmeal. Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and set the mixing bowl to the side. Beat the eggs and combine them with the milk mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Beat the liquid ingredients with a fork slowly pulling in flour from the sides of the well. Continue until everything has been combined to form a sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until smooth and shiny. Cut the dough into 4 pieces, wrap them with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Toast the nuts in a preheated 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden. Chop the nuts and figs, place them in a mixing bowl with the raisins and candied orange peel, and stir everything together. Place the honey in a saucepan, bring it up to a simmer, remove it from the burner, and then stir in the cinnamon. Pour the warm honey over the nut and dried fruit mixture, then add the liqueur, and stir well so that everything is coated. Roll out the dough to just less than ¼ inch thickness. Cut the dough into 5 inch diameter circles. Place a generous portion of the filling on top and then fold the dough over and seal the edges. If you shape the cookies into fish, cut out fins and a tail from the scraps of dough. Beat an egg white with a splash of water to adhere the fins and tail, and then brush the whole cookie with the egg wash. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve room temperature. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 04:56:56 +0000
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