ST. JOSEPH'S FIG COOKIES

St. Joseph's Fig Cookies image

As much as Italians would like to claim the fig as their own, it has deep origins somewhere in Mesopotamia. Then it made its way into the Middle East and the rest of the world. The Egyptians adored the fig and praised it as a medicinal and delicious fruit. Fig breads and sweets were made way before the Italians started, but you cannot take away the importance the fig cookie has on St. Joseph's Day for the Italian culture. As the legend goes, during a year of drought and famine in Sicily, people would gather and pray to St. Joseph for help. St. Joseph responded by sending heavy rains. To this day Sicilians respond by making the St. Joseph's table full of offerings, and among them must be the St. Joseph's fig cookies.

Yield makes about 4¹/¿ dozen

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons grappa or brandy
4 teaspoons orange juice
2 cups diced dried black figs
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, or as needed
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed

Steps:

Bring the honey, grappa, and orange juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the figs, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the figs are plumped, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool thoroughly while you make the dough.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Beat together the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the dry ingredients with the processor running, and pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 15 to 20 seconds. Knead the dough on the counter once or twice, then wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or until firm.
When the fig filling is cool, scrape it into a food processor and sprinkle in the lemon zest and cinnamon, processing all to make a smooth paste. Then add the walnuts, and pulse a few more times, leaving the nuts slightly chunky. Transfer the filling to a bowl, and freeze until firm, about 1/2 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough in half, and roll one half, between sheets of parchment paper, into a rectangle about 16 by 7 inches. Cut the rectangle in half to make two long strips. With the palms of your hands, roll a quarter of the filling into a log and set it down on the center of one strip. With a pastry brush, lightly wet one long edge of the strip, then, using the parchment paper underneath, begin to roll the dough until you have covered the filling and the two ends of the dough meet. Press gently and seal the log. Roll the seam underneath, and flatten the top slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling; you will now have four long logs with filling in the center.
Cut the logs into 1-inch lengths using a wet knife, and place in the same position on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in oven and bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
To glaze cookies: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and whisk in the milk to make a smooth glaze. Dip a cookie into the glaze; it should stick to the cookie in a thin layer. If not, adjust the consistency of the glaze with more milk if too dense or confectioners' sugar if too loose.
Let the glazed cookies dry on wire racks.