Tatù Sicilian Cookies Recipes

TATù -- SICILIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, almonds, and sugar and add cocoa powder to darken it. Form a well and add coffee, vanilla extract, butter and orange marmalade. Combine into a dough. Use the dough to form balls the size of a walnut. Put them on a greased cookie sheet and bake them at 375 F until golden. About 15 minutes.
• At this point make the veil: heat the chocolate and sugar over a very gentle flame, stirring constantly, and when the mixture is smooth and creamy remove it from the fire. Stir in the vanilla extract, let it cool slightly, and ice the cookies. Dust the cookies with just a hint of cinnamon and they're ready.

ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times or until smooth. Divide dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a 24-in. log. Cut logs into 2-in. pieces., Place sesame seeds and milk in separate shallow bowls. Brush pieces with milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until set and bottoms are lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

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.

ITALIAN FROSTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir orange zest into flour mixture. Mix vegetable shortening and margarine into dry ingredients, using your hands, until mixture is crumbly.
• Beat eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy; add egg mixture, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup milk to flour mixture and knead dough in the bowl until thoroughly combined and dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Dough will be stiff. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.
• Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
• Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.
• Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place frosted cookies on racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let cookies dry overnight.