Celebrate the festive season with these classic Christmas-spiced Italian fig cookies, Cuccidati. Made with a tender pasta frolla (Italian sweet shortcrust) and filled with sticky dried figs, candied orange, raisins, nuts and warming spices, these Sicilian cookies are both beautiful and delicious.
Also known as Buccellati, Cuccidati are traditional Sicilian holiday cookies. Their filling highlights festive flavors—dried figs, orange zest, cinnamon, cocoa and a mix of nuts—making them ideal for Christmas gifting or a seasonal cookie platter.
You can finish them simply with a dusting of powdered sugar or coat them in a glossy sweet icing and scatter colorful sprinkles on top. Below you’ll find the full recipe, ingredient notes, step-by-step photos, helpful tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the printable recipe, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial.
Ingredients – what you need
Photos below show the ingredients and some important notes to help you prepare.
Notes for the pastry dough
- Italian 00 flour is traditional, but regular all-purpose flour works well too.
- Orange zest adds freshness; lemon can be used instead. Use unwaxed citrus when possible.
- Butter should be unsalted and cold, straight from the fridge for a flaky pastry.
- Sugar caster (superfine) sugar gives a smooth texture, but granulated sugar is fine.
- Eggs use large eggs.
- Baking powder should be fresh—old baking powder won’t leaven properly.
Notes for the filling
- Dried figs trim any tough stems before using.
- Nuts this recipe uses walnuts, pine nuts and blanched almonds, but you can substitute or combine your preferred nuts.
- Marsala may be swapped for brandy, rum, grappa or another liqueur. For an alcohol-free option use a tablespoon of water.
- Sprinkles are optional but traditional—add them while the icing is still wet.
Step by step photos and recipe instructions
Make the pastry
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the dry mixture. Stir until a rough dough forms, then use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball.
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the filling
Soak the dried figs in warm (not hot) water for 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
Pulse the nuts with the cocoa powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Blend the drained figs with raisins, candied orange, orange marmalade and Marsala (or substitute) until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the chopped nut and cocoa mix until evenly combined.
Roll out the dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface and roll one portion of dough into a rough rectangle about 8 × 13 inches and 1/4 inch (½ cm) thick. Trim the edges to form a neat rectangle.
Spoon half of the filling along one long edge of the rectangle and shape it into a log. Roll the pastry over the filling, sealing the seam and trimming any excess. Slice the log into cookies about 1¼ inches thick and arrange them on the prepared tray. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Make the icing
Whisk the egg white (or use water/juice for an egg-free version), lemon juice and powdered sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric whisk until thick and glossy—soft peak consistency is ideal. Dip each cooled cookie into the icing, sprinkle with decorations while it is still wet, and allow to set for a couple of hours.
Variations
- Different liqueur: substitute Marsala with rum, brandy, grappa or another liqueur.
- Jam swap: use apricot jam instead of orange marmalade.
- Vanilla: add vanilla bean or a little vanilla extract to the filling.
- Spice mix: experiment with cloves, anise or nutmeg for extra warmth.
- Decoration: dip or drizzle icing and use any festive sprinkles you prefer.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Prepare ahead: both dough and filling can be made a few days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Don’t overwork the dough: handle the pastry as little as possible to avoid toughness. Shortcrust often splits—simply press it back together gently.
- Temperature when rolling: if the dough chills longer than an hour, let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly. If it becomes too warm, return it to the fridge to firm up.
- Freezing: these cookies freeze well before or after baking—freeze in a single layer, then transfer to containers or bags.
- Storage: keep baked cookies in an airtight container; they will stay good for weeks.
Cuccidati is pronounced koo-chee-dah-tee.
Cuccidati, sometimes spelled Cucciddati, trace their history to Sicily and show Arab influences through the use of spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Yes. Freeze the cookies before or after baking. Lay them out flat to freeze, then transfer to airtight bags or containers.
More Italian Christmas recipes
Italian Desserts
Panforte – Tuscan Fruit and Nut Cake
Italian Desserts
Struffoli – Italian Honey Balls
Christmas
Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)
Christmas
Cuccia (Sicilian Ricotta Dessert)
If you try this Cuccidati recipe, please leave a review or comment to say how it turned out. I love hearing from readers and bakers who give these traditional Sicilian cookies a try.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes include step-by-step photos, tips and a video to help you get it right the first time.
Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
By Emily
Equipment
- Food processor
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
Ingredients
Pasta Frolla (pastry)
- 4 cups Italian 00 flour (500g), plus extra for dusting
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (160g)
- 17 tbsp cold unsalted butter (240g), cut into cubes
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 pinch salt
Filling
- 2 cups dried figs (400g)
- ⅔ cup raisins (100g)
- ⅓ cup candied orange peel (80g)
- ¼ cup pine nuts (30g)
- ¼ cup almonds (40g)
- ½ cup walnuts (50g)
- ⅓ cup orange marmalade (90g)
- 1 tbsp Marsala wine (or substitute)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg white (or water/juice for egg-free)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Rub in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add to the flour, combining to form a rough dough. Bring together into a smooth ball.
- Divide, shape into two balls, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the filling
- Soak figs in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
- Pulse nuts, cocoa and cinnamon in a food processor until coarsely chopped; set aside.
- Blend figs, raisins, candied orange, marmalade and Marsala until combined. Mix with the nut mixture.
Roll out the dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a tray with parchment.
- Roll one dough portion on a floured surface into an 8×13 inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Trim edges.
- Place half the filling along the long edge, roll to enclose and trim. Slice into 1¼-inch cookies and bake 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Make the icing
- Whisk egg white (or substitute), lemon juice and powdered sugar until thick and glossy. Dip cookies, add sprinkles and allow to set for a couple of hours.
Notes
- Make the dough and filling ahead of time and store in the fridge for a few days.
- Handle the pastry gently—shortcrust can split but can be easily patched back together.
- If dough is too stiff after chilling, let it rest 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling; if too soft, chill again.
- Freeze cookies before or after baking in a single layer, then transfer to a container.
- Cookies keep well in an airtight container for weeks.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 42 g |
Protein: 4 g |
Fat: 11 g |
Saturated Fat: 5 g |
Fiber: 3 g |
Sugar: 24 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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