Italian Fig Cookies (Cuccidati)

This Italian fig cookie recipe combines dried fruit, nuts, and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg with a buttery cookie dough that couldn’t be simpler or tastier. You wouldn’t be the first to compare them to homemade Fig Newtons, but Sicilian fig cookies are cuter, chewier, and considerably more flavorful. They’re a popular holiday cookie in parts of Italy and cities worldwide with large Sicilian populations, like New Orleans.

Customize the fig filling by swapping some or all of the dried figs and raisins for chopped dried apples or apricots. (Taste the fig mixture before assembling the cookies; you might want slightly less honey or a dash of kosher salt to keep flavors balanced.) Tailor the filling ingredients to your pantry and preferences by using chopped pecans instead of some or all the walnuts or almonds, or substitute allspice for the nutmeg or cloves. Both the filling and the cookie dough (more like a pie dough, really) can be prepped and stored separately several days ahead. (Great news for anyone who needs more than the 66 cookies one batch will make.) 

The nonpareils called for are tiny round sprinkles, not the chocolate disk variety. If you can’t find any, swap in sanding sugar, a fresh sprinkling of citrus zest, or simply omit. Your Italian fig cookies will still taste delicious.