Italian Fig Cookies

Recipe

Preparation1 hours 0 minutes
Cook time40 minutes
ServingsMakes a few dozen
Episode1414

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Ingredients

    For the filling:
  • 8 oz of Dried Figs
  • 1 cup of Water
  • Juice and zest of 1/2 an Orange
  • 1/4 cup of Honey
  • 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
  • Shot of Brandy, optional, if not using, use the juice of a whole orange
  • 1/2 cup of Toasted Pecans
    • For the dough:
  • 1-3/4 cups of All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 tsp of Salt
  • 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp of Ground Cloves
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup of Vegetable Shortening
  • 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • Zest of 1/2 an Orange
  • Zest of 1/2 a Lemon
  • 1/4 cup of Milk
  • 1 Tbsp of Vanilla Extract
    • For the glaze:
  • 1-1/2 cups of Powdered Sugar
  • Juice of 1 Orange (you might need a bit more depending on how juicy the orange is)

Preparation

    1) In a saucepan, add all the ingredients for the filling except the nuts, simmer on very low heat for about 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow it to sit and cool for about an hour, meanwhile, let's work on the dough.

    2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening and both kinds of sugar for a couple minutes, then add the vanilla, zests and egg and combine for another minute.

    3) Add the flour, salt, cinnamon and cloves, while slowly adding the milk and mix everything until incorporated (don't panic, dough will be very sticky at this point) then dump the sticky dough on a floured surface and pull it into a disk (you might have to add more flour as you pull it together) wrap in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for an hour.

    4) Once the dough is ready, add the fig mixture and nuts in a high power blender and puree until smooth (add a touch of orange juice if the mixture has thickened too much) add the mixture to a large resealable plastic wrap and set aside.

    5) Divide the dough into 2 pieces, roll each piece on a floured surface nice and thin but not thin enough that it's see-through (about a 12x14 inch rectangle) cut out 4 4x12 inch strips, pipe out some of the filling in the center of each one, and fold starting from the left into thirds (please watch the video to see how I do this because it's hard to explain) cut them into 2 inch pieces, place them on a parchment paper baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes.

    6) While in the freezer, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then pop the cookies in (lower and middle rack) and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottom edges are golden (don't overcook) allow them to cool completely (leave them on the baking sheet).

    7) Make the glaze by whisking together the sugar and orange juice, while the glaze is wet, sprinkle the sprinkles on top so they stick. Allow the glaze to set then dig in!


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