Lidia Bastianich Fig Cookies Food

FIG-STUFFED COOKIES: CUCCIDATI ITALIAN

Steps:

• Make the Filling: In a bowl, combine the figs with 4 tablespoons of brandy and let soak overnight or up to 4 weeks.
• In a food processor, combine the soaked figs, the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy, and all the remaining filling ingredients. Process until chopped and well combined. (Alternatively, run all the ingredients through a meat grinder. Some Italian women bring their filling ingredients to the butcher and have him grind it for them.) Keep chilled until ready to use.
• Make the Pastry: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until it looks like fine crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs and milk. While the motor in running, pour the liquid through the feed tube until just combined and a dough is formed. Form the dough into a disk and chill 30 minutes.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut out large (3-inch long) almond shaped pieces from the dough. Transfer the pieces to a sheet pan; then chill.
• To form the cookies, have ready the filling, the chilled dough pieces, the egg wash with a pastry brush, and a sharp knife. Paint the edges of the dough pieces with egg wash and place 1 teaspoon of filling shaped into an oval in the center of half the pieces. Top each with a second piece of dough and carefully pinch the edges together to seal. Trim the excess dough from around the edges.
• Make each dough package look like a bird or fish, by shaping and cutting decorative lines. You can split 1 end to look like a tail, carve rows of lines to look like feathers or fins, cut a curved line for the gills or beak opening, and a hole for the eye. (There are many different shapes they're made into, such as wreaths, slippers, and crescents.) Re-chill the cookies
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the cookies with the egg wash. Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the Icing: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
• Toss the cookies with the icing while they're still hot and sprinkle with the colored sprinkles, or leave them plain. The icing makes the cookies look like porcelain when they're done.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Recommends using a heavy-bottomed 9-inch saute pan, 3 inches deep.
• Spread the sugar in the bottom of the pan, and pour in ½ cup water and the lemon juice.
• Set the figs in the pan, stem up, in one layer; nestle the strips of lemon zest and bay leaves in between the figs.
• Set the pan over low heat; cook slowly until the sugar melts and the figs release their juices.
• As the juices rise in the pan, gradually increase the heat to keep them bubbling.
• When the figs are soft and the liquid levels come halfway up their sides, about 30 minutes or more, turn off the heat, and let the figs rest in the pan for 1 hour or so, to reabsorb some of the juices.
• Slowly heat the figs and juices until they are bubbling again, and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the figs are very soft, but still intact and the juices have become thick and syrupy.
• Let the figs cool before serving; arrange them in a serving dish if you like, with the syrup all around.
• Enjoy the fruit and syrup on their own, or top with vanilla ice cream.

ST. JOSEPH'S FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• Bring the honey, grappa, and orange juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the figs, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the figs are plumped, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool thoroughly while you make the dough.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Beat together the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the dry ingredients with the processor running, and pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 15 to 20 seconds. Knead the dough on the counter once or twice, then wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or until firm.
• When the fig filling is cool, scrape it into a food processor and sprinkle in the lemon zest and cinnamon, processing all to make a smooth paste. Then add the walnuts, and pulse a few more times, leaving the nuts slightly chunky. Transfer the filling to a bowl, and freeze until firm, about 1/2 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough in half, and roll one half, between sheets of parchment paper, into a rectangle about 16 by 7 inches. Cut the rectangle in half to make two long strips. With the palms of your hands, roll a quarter of the filling into a log and set it down on the center of one strip. With a pastry brush, lightly wet one long edge of the strip, then, using the parchment paper underneath, begin to roll the dough until you have covered the filling and the two ends of the dough meet. Press gently and seal the log. Roll the seam underneath, and flatten the top slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling; you will now have four long logs with filling in the center.
• Cut the logs into 1-inch lengths using a wet knife, and place in the same position on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in oven and bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
• To glaze cookies: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and whisk in the milk to make a smooth glaze. Dip a cookie into the glaze; it should stick to the cookie in a thin layer. If not, adjust the consistency of the glaze with more milk if too dense or confectioners' sugar if too loose.
• Let the glazed cookies dry on wire racks.

CUCIDATI (ITALIAN FIG COOKIES)

Steps:

• For cookie dough, sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
• Add sugar and stir well.
• Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender and work the mixture until it looks like corn meal.
• In a bowl, beat egg, vanilla and milk together.
• Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes until well blended; dough will be soft.
• (The original recipe says to knead the mixture for 5 minutes on a floured surface, but I find my Kitchen-Aid works great for this step!) Divide the dough into four pieces and wrap each piece with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate dough for 45 minutes.
• To make the filling, grind figs, dates and raisins in a food processor until coarse.
• (If you don't have a food processor, you can chop by hand until coarse) Place chopped figs, dates and raisins in a bowl.
• Add remaining filling ingredients and mix well.
• (Mixture will be thick) Set aside mixture.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Work with one piece of dough at a time, leaving the other pieces of dough in the refrigerator until needed.
• On a floured surface (I often use confectioner's sugar for rolling my dough), roll the dough to a 12-inch square.
• Cut dough into 2X3-inch rectangles.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling onto each rectangle.
• Carefully fold the long edges over to meet in the center and pinch to seal seam.
• Place each cookie, seam side down, on a baking sheet, making sure you leave at least 1-2 inches between each cookie.
• Make 2 or 3 diagonal slits on the top of each cookie with a sharp knife.
• Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are golden in color.
• Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
• For icing, place confectioner's sugar in a bowl.
• Add just a little water or milk, until you get a smooth consistency- but not runny!
• Ice the tops of each cookie and sprinkle with colored sprinkle.
• Let icing dry completely before stacking!
• Store in air-tight containers up to 2 weeks.