Cuccidati Italian Fig and Date Bar Cookies A MAKE-AHEAD RECIPE Recipe

Ingredients

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• Cuccidati (Italian fig and date Bar cookies) shopping list
• Crust shopping list
• 3/4 cup margarine shopping list
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar shopping list
• 2 eggs shopping list
• Rind of 1 orange shopping list
• 4 teaspoons orange juice shopping list
• 3 cups flour shopping list
• 2 teaspoons baking powder shopping list
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract shopping list
• Filling shopping list
• 1 string of figs shopping list
• 8 ounces raisins shopping list
• 8 ounces brown sugar shopping list
• 1 pound walnuts shopping list
• 1 pound dates shopping list
• 1 orange shopping list
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon shopping list
• 2 ounces whiskey shopping list
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper shopping list
• 1 1/2 cups water shopping list
• frosting shopping list
• 3 cups powdered sugar shopping list
• 4 ounces butter shopping list
• orange juice shopping list
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. shopping list
• Crust: In large bowl, cream together first 3 ingredients. Add orange juice and orange rind. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture along with vanilla. shopping list
• Filling: Prepare several days ahead of time. In a food grinder, grind figs and raisins. In large saucepan, simmer raisins and figs with brown sugar and water for 15 minutes. Grind walnuts, dates, and orange. Stir into hot mixture along with cinnamon, black pepper, and whiskey. Remove from stove, mix well, cover, and let mellow for 3 days. shopping list
• Note: This recipe makes enough filling for 2 batches of crust and can be divided and frozen for up to six months. shopping list
• roll dough into 3-inch wide strips on pastry cloth. Lay filling down the center and wrap dough to form a long "sausage-like"; cookie. roll back and forth until crust seems very thin. Cut in diagonal about every 1 1/2 inches. Place on cookie sheet close together and bake for 10-13 minutes. cookies should be barely brown. Cool and store in tins 5 days, then frost. shopping list
• Frosting: In medium bowl, mix together margarine and powdered sugar until well blended. Add enough juice to make a thick glaze. Top cookies with a thin coat. Let frosting dry a couple of hours then store in tins as follows. shopping list
• To Store: Line tins with foil, place a layer of cookies, then a layer of wax paper (NOT plastic wrap). Keep repeating, ending with foil and then the lid. shopping list
• Servings: 4 shopping list
• NOTE: You have to make the filling 3 days ahead. shopping list