Sicilian Fig Pastries Recipes

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES

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.

SICILIAN FIG PASTRIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the flour, shortening and salt; cover and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water; stir in egg and vanilla. Gradually add to crumb mixture; pulse until dough forms a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes., In a food processor, combine the figs, walnuts, water, grape jelly, orange zest and cinnamon; cover and process until blended. Set aside. , Separate dough into six portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 12x8-in. rectangle (dough will be very thin). Cut into 4x2-in. rectangles. Place a teaspoon of fig mixture on one short side of each rectangle; fold dough over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks.

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it looks like coarse meal. Whisk the yolks, vanilla and lemon zest and juice, then add to the food processor and pulse until the dough holds together when pinched (stop before it gathers into a ball). Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and knead into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Pulse the almonds in a clean food processor until coarsely chopped; transfer to a saucepan. Pulse the figs in the food processor until finely chopped and add to the saucepan along with the orange zest, wine, honey and cocoa powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into about 24 balls, then flatten into 2-inch disks. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in the center. Wrap the pastry over the filling, then roll into a ball, covering the filling. Put on the prepared baking sheets, cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and orange zest and juice in a bowl. Brush the cookies with the glaze and top with the nonpareils. Let set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES (BUCCELLATI)

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.