by Kelli Knight
I have a couple of friends that carry on a Sicilian tradition every Christmas. Their families have gathered together to make cuccidati cookies since they were young, and I’m sure their parents did the same. They gather with siblings and children, and undoubtedly the latest generation will continue this tradition their parents have upheld. This got me thinking, baking, especially during the holidays, offers a unique way to unwind and find joy amidst the seasonal chaos. It also creates an opportunity to craft heartfelt, personal gifts. I vividly recall a Christmas when a classmate brought galletas con chochitos, a delightful Mexican cookie, to our school party as a gift for my class. There’s something profoundly special about baking a recipe tied to your heritage or personal memories—it adds an immeasurable layer of meaning.
With so many traditional cookies from cultures around the world, I thought it would be pretty nifty to share a couple recipes and a resource with a link to many more. Whether you’re baking to create lasting memories, relieve stress, give meaningful gifts, or simply for the love of it, these recipes can offer something special for everyone, no matter your cultural background.
Traditional Scicilian cuccidati fig cookies:
Dough: 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 2 sticks of butter, 1 tspn of salt, 1 tblspn of baking power. Mix these ingredients ahead of making your filling. Mix in a food processor until they form a ball. Take the ball and split in two. Wrap each dough ball and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and up to three days.
Filling: Large bag of dried figs, 1 cup of walnuts or pistachios (or both), 1 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 tblspn of cinnamon, 1 tblspn of ground clove or nutmeg, 1/2 cup of bourbon or brandy or rum or orange juice for a non-alcoholic version.
Place all ingredients into a food processor and chop into a mixture that is sticky, but pliable.
When ready, take out the dough and roll flat. Take the filling and roll into the shape of a log. Then, place the filling onto the flattened dough and proceed to roll the dough over the filling like a blanket. Trim the dough so that it only rolls over the filling once. Cut the log into one inch slices with a sharp knife. Bake in a preheated over at 350° for 15 minutes. Take them out and let them cool. When room temperature, place on a rack and drizzle with a mixture of confectioners sugar and cream. Let that harden, and your cookies are done.
My mom’s family is from Larose, La. My great-grandmother made pralines with condensed milk and this tradition has been passed on to us.
Pralines from Larose:
Before starting, make sure you have a cookie sheet covered with wax paper prepared.
Ingredients: 1 cup of pecans halfs, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 tblspns of butter, 1/2 tspn salt, and 1 tspn of vanilla extract
Cook the ingredients over a low heat. A double boiler works best for this recipe, but isn’t necessary if you make sure not to burn the sugar. When the mixture is a viscous liquid, it’s ready to be poured. Pour into two to three inch puddles and let harden.
For a list of great cookies for any occasion whether your heritage is Pakistani, South African, Japanese, or other regions around the world, click this link.
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