Cuccidati -- Sicilian Fig Cookies
Jul 9, 2010 17:15:38 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Jul 9, 2010 17:15:38 GMT
This is from an email my mother sent me. Mimi was my grandmother, my mother's mother.
This can be used as a guide to make the cookies, as I'm positive this isn't my grandmother's original recipe. For one thing, it uses a food processor and she was making the "cats in a sack" as she called them decades before there were home food processors. Also, the ones she made were never, ever iced, nor did they have any nasty little sprinkles on them.
Many recipes call for an egg wash before baking, but all of the cuccidati I've ever eaten have not had it. The finished product is rather pale.
I know a family in New Orleans who put anisette into their filling, a nice idea, as would be Cointreau or Fra Angelico.
CATS IN THE SACK
Sent to me by Mama, Aug. 28, 2002
In my travels thru cook-books, I found Mimi's recipe for Cats in the Sack that I copied many years ago.
1 pound flour (4 cups)
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. baking powder
1/2 cup of crisco and butter, mixed
2 eggs--well beaten
1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water.
Blend dry ingredients well with shortening, add beaten eggs. Mix in sugar liquid. Knead well enough to roll out. Fill--bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Filling: Use dry figs, pecans, raisins and a small amount of citron. All must be ground then cooked to blend with a small amount of water and sugar (1/2 cup of each) and almond extract when cool.
NOTE: instead of water & sugar try orange juice. .
1. Filling: Process ingredients in a food processor until coarsely pureed. If dry, add 1 tbls more of juice.(Can be refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and stir before using)
2. Dough: In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to mix. Drop spoonfuls shortening over mixture; pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp ice water; pulse just until evenly moistened. Place dough on wax paper; knead until a smooth, slightly moist (not wet) dough forms. If dry or crumbly, knead in 1 or 2 tsp of water.
3. Divide in half. Place each portion between sheets of wax paper. Roll each into a 12 inch square, cutting and patching to even sides. Stack (paper attached) on a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes until cold and firm.
4. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Working with one portion (leave rest in refrig.) gently peel away paper and flip over and peel away paper on other side. Repair tears. Cut dough crosswise into four 12x3 in. strips. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down middle of each. Fold over about 1 in. on each side to cover filling. Moisten edges. overlap slightly, press seams to seal. Trim uneven ends Cut strips crosswise in 2 in. pieces. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Cut 2 parallel 1 inch slits down to expose filling.
6. Bake one sheet at the time in upper third of oven 14 to 19 minutes until slightly darker at edges. Cool on sheet for 1 to 2 min. before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.
7. Icing: Stir ingredients in med bowl to form a liquid icing and dribble. Storage Tip: Store airtight at room temp up to 1 week or freeze up to one month.
ENJOY: MOM
=====================================================
Here is an excellent, authentic group of recipes:
www.theartisan.net/Cuccidati_Frameset.htm
This can be used as a guide to make the cookies, as I'm positive this isn't my grandmother's original recipe. For one thing, it uses a food processor and she was making the "cats in a sack" as she called them decades before there were home food processors. Also, the ones she made were never, ever iced, nor did they have any nasty little sprinkles on them.
Many recipes call for an egg wash before baking, but all of the cuccidati I've ever eaten have not had it. The finished product is rather pale.
I know a family in New Orleans who put anisette into their filling, a nice idea, as would be Cointreau or Fra Angelico.
CATS IN THE SACK
Sent to me by Mama, Aug. 28, 2002
In my travels thru cook-books, I found Mimi's recipe for Cats in the Sack that I copied many years ago.
1 pound flour (4 cups)
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. baking powder
1/2 cup of crisco and butter, mixed
2 eggs--well beaten
1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water.
Blend dry ingredients well with shortening, add beaten eggs. Mix in sugar liquid. Knead well enough to roll out. Fill--bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Filling: Use dry figs, pecans, raisins and a small amount of citron. All must be ground then cooked to blend with a small amount of water and sugar (1/2 cup of each) and almond extract when cool.
NOTE: instead of water & sugar try orange juice. .
1. Filling: Process ingredients in a food processor until coarsely pureed. If dry, add 1 tbls more of juice.(Can be refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and stir before using)
2. Dough: In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to mix. Drop spoonfuls shortening over mixture; pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp ice water; pulse just until evenly moistened. Place dough on wax paper; knead until a smooth, slightly moist (not wet) dough forms. If dry or crumbly, knead in 1 or 2 tsp of water.
3. Divide in half. Place each portion between sheets of wax paper. Roll each into a 12 inch square, cutting and patching to even sides. Stack (paper attached) on a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes until cold and firm.
4. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Working with one portion (leave rest in refrig.) gently peel away paper and flip over and peel away paper on other side. Repair tears. Cut dough crosswise into four 12x3 in. strips. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down middle of each. Fold over about 1 in. on each side to cover filling. Moisten edges. overlap slightly, press seams to seal. Trim uneven ends Cut strips crosswise in 2 in. pieces. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Cut 2 parallel 1 inch slits down to expose filling.
6. Bake one sheet at the time in upper third of oven 14 to 19 minutes until slightly darker at edges. Cool on sheet for 1 to 2 min. before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.
7. Icing: Stir ingredients in med bowl to form a liquid icing and dribble. Storage Tip: Store airtight at room temp up to 1 week or freeze up to one month.
ENJOY: MOM
=====================================================
Here is an excellent, authentic group of recipes:
www.theartisan.net/Cuccidati_Frameset.htm