Italian Fig Cookies

This Italian fig cookies recipe has been handed down through my mother's family for years. They are a tradition at Christmas and wonderful with coffee.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 302 Calories

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups shortening
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 7 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 pounds dried figs
• 1 pound raisins
• 1 whole orange, with peel
• 1 small apple
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 1.5 cups chopped pecans

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

To make the dough: Beat sugar and butter together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Blend in flour and baking powder by hand. Knead dough until smooth and workable. Add milk to reach workable consistency. (This takes a while and you will get a workout, but you'll know when it's right.)

Step 3

To make the filling: Cut up figs, orange, and apple into small pieces. (It is easier to grind this way). Grind figs, raisins, orange, and apple. If the mixture is too dry or thick, mix in up to 1 cup of water, if desired. (I do not use the water, the juice from the apple and orange are enough). The spices and chopped nuts are added to the ground fig mixture. After the fig mixture is ground, I sprinkle them in over the mixture and mix (knead) it in by hand. The mixture will be sticky.

Step 4

Roll out some dough (should be kind of thin). Spoon fig mixture in a line down the center. Wrap dough over mixture, sealing fig filling inside dough. Trim to desired length, using a diagonal cut. Make small diagonal slits in the sides of the cookies; arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Step 5

Bake cookies in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.