If you have a dinner party coming up and looking for new, innovative ways to delight your friends, then what better way to do so than serving up a new, sweet, and unique dessert? Here’s how you can whip up a batch of delectable Italian Cuccidati cookies.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
- Whole milk
- Unsalted butter
- 1 cup walnuts
- Honey
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Orange zest
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
- 7 oz dried figs
- 6 dried dates
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon grounded nutmeg
Instructions:
- Start by making the dough. In a food processor, mix the salt, baking powder, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until blended. Add egg, butter, and milk to the mix until the entire mixture holds together when you squeeze it in your hands.
- Place the dough into a large sheet of plastic wrap. Continue to knead the dough until it is a flat disk. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Now, place the dates, figs, brandy, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg into the food processor. Once a thick paste is formed, add the walnuts and process until there are just a few fine chunks of walnut remaining. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the dough on the baking tray and the filling on top of it. Fold the dough over the filling so that it completely circles it, thereby forming a log. Cut the log into 8 pieces.
- Bake until the dough is golden brown. This typically takes 13 to 17 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a glaze. Once the cookies are out of the oven. pour the glaze over them generously and add sprinkles.
