These cookies are a classic Italian cookie, made only around Christmastime and always making an appearance on the famous “tray.”  There’s always one woman in every Italian family who is known for making the “tray” every year which contains all different kinds of Italian and other festive cookies .  If you are the lucky recipient of one of these trays, you know what I mean when I say you have scored a prize.  Meanwhile the woman who makes the cookies, usually someone’s aunt, complains the entire time she is making them because it literally means weeks of backbreaking dough rolling, flour sifting, egg white beating, sprinkling and more.  As of two years ago, I became that lady.  If you don’t want the headache of making a whole tray but you still want the credit for making an amazing cookie, try the Cuccidati and you’ll have them singing your praises all year long.

 Ingredients:

 Filling:

• ½ cup shelled pistachios

• ¼ cup pignoli (pine nuts)

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1 pound dried mission figs, stems removed

• 1 cup raisins (optional)

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• ½ cup orange marmalade

• zest of 2 oranges

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

 Dough:

• 5 cups flour

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 pinch salt

• 2 sticks butter, cold and chopped

• 3 eggs plus one yolk

 Glaze:

• 2 egg whites

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• zest of one lemon

• crushed pistachios

• sprinkles

 Directions:

Soak figs and raisins in hot water for 10 minutes.

Pulse the nuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely chopped and set aside. Drain figs and raisins and add to food processor.  Pulse until a paste is formed.  Add to the bowl with the nuts and add all other ingredients for the filling.  Set aside. 

Pulse the chopped butter and the dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade until crumbs form.  If you don’t want to use the food processor, use a pastry cutter or two forks and cut in the butter by hand.  Add the eggs and yolk and keep mixing until the dough is smooth.  Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, at least an hour.  I like to chill 4 separate pieces so when it comes time to use, you aren’t trying to work with one large dough ball.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a  baking sheet with parchment paper.

Take one of the balls of dough out and roll out a rectangle.  One piece may yield more than one rectangle, whatever you are comfortable working with is fine.  The dough should be no more than 1/8  -¼ inch thin.  Spread some of the filling down the middle and fold over so the ends meet.  Trim off any excess dough. Cut the log into 1 inch slices and place on the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven but keep on sheet. 

While the cookies are baking, beat egg whites in a bowl until frothy and add powdered sugar until a thin paste forms.  Add lemon zest and stir.

Drizzle glaze over the cookies while they are out of the oven but still on the pan.  Immediately follow the drizzle before it dries with either pistachios or sprinkles.  Stick back in oven for another few minutes to set.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.