Description
These Italian Fig Cookies are a delightful treat featuring a buttery dough filled with a sweet mixture of dried figs, pecans, apricot jam, raisins, and a hint of rum and cinnamon. Perfectly baked until lightly golden, these cookies offer a unique combination of rich flavors and textures that make them ideal for special occasions or everyday indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- â…” cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (cold)
- 4 large eggs
Filling
- 12 ounces dried figs
- ½ cup pecans (chopped)
- â…“ cup apricot jam
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup rum
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse briefly to mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Add Butter and Eggs: Add the cold unsalted butter to the processor and pulse about 20 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then add the eggs and pulse again until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
- Knead and Chill Dough: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead gently until smooth. Shape it into a log, wrap with plastic wrap, and set aside to chill.
- Prepare Filling: Place dried figs, chopped pecans, apricot jam, golden raisins, orange zest, semisweet chocolate chips, rum, and cinnamon into the food processor. Pulse until the filling is finely chopped and well combined.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide Dough and Filling: Divide the chilled dough and filling into 10 equal portions each. Roll each dough portion into a 3 by 12-inch rectangle.
- Shape Filling: Shape each filling portion into a 12-inch rope or arrange it evenly along the center of each dough rectangle.
- Form Cookies: Gently wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the ends to seal the seam. Flatten the roll slightly with a spatula or your hands.
- Slice Rolls: Cut each roll into 6 equal pieces and place them on the ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden.
- Cool: Let cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is cold before adding to the dry ingredients to ensure a flaky texture.
- Chilling the dough is important to make the dough easier to handle and to improve the cookie texture.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the rolls for clean edges and even cooking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For a boozy variation, adjust the rum quantity as preferred or omit for a kid-friendly version.
