Tomorrow, March 19th, is the Feast of St. Joseph, an important feast day in Italy or more specifically, Sicily. St. Joseph is particularly important to Sicilians, because he is credited with preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages through prayer. Each year, a large feast is prepared in his honor. Desserts typically include Zeppoli and Italian Fig Cookies.
Italian Fig Cookies, or Cuccidati, also tend to show up around Christmastime, so they are more of a “celebratory” cookie than linked to any specific holiday.
I wasn’t ready to conquer Zeppoli just yet, so I thought I’d try Italian Fig Cookies! This recipe is based off a recipe from Epicurious.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 6 tablespoons brandy
- 4 teaspoons orange juice
- 2 cups chopped dried figs
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons milk
- the zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, or as needed
- 1/4 cup milk, or as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Optional:
- sprinkles, for decoration