CATEGORY |
CUISINE |
TAG |
YIELD |
Eggs, Dairy, Grains |
Sicilian |
|
1 |
Servings |
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 |
c |
All-purpose flour |
1/3 |
c |
Sugar |
1 1/4 |
t |
Baking powder |
1/2 |
t |
Salt |
3 |
T |
Butter, cut into small |
|
|
pieces |
1 |
|
Egg |
1 |
|
Egg white |
1/4 |
c |
Low-fat milk |
1 1/2 |
T |
Canola oil |
1 |
t |
Pure vanilla extract |
1/4 |
t |
Pure almond extract |
1/4 |
c |
Slivered almonds |
1/4 |
t |
Aniseed |
2 |
c |
Dried figs, stems removed |
1 |
c |
Dried apricots |
1/2 |
c |
Chopped dates |
1/2 |
c |
Golden raisins |
1/3 |
c |
Sugar |
1 1/2 |
t |
Grated lemon zest |
1 1/2 |
t |
Ground cinnamon |
1/8 |
t |
Freshly ground black pepper |
1/3 |
c |
Marsala or fresh orange |
|
|
juice |
1 1/4 |
c |
Confectioners' sugar |
2 |
T |
Low-fat milk, plus more as |
|
|
needed |
1/4 |
t |
Pure vanilla extract |
1/4 |
t |
Pure almond extract |
INSTRUCTIONS
A crisp pastry surrounds the filling made of dried figs, apricots,
dates and raisins in this traditional Sicilian Christmas cookie.
Marsala, a fortified wine from Sicily, keeps the filling moist. These
are delicious without the icing as well. Just got back from the Disney
Institute again and as always, I had a marvelous time. You guys have
got to go! I took: Imagineering!, Radio Drama, Outdoor Photography,
Celebrations!, Boxing Aerobics, Animation Sampler, Romantic Dinners,
Canoe Adventures and Taste of the Word: Bayou. Culinary Technique:
Cover Page Cooking: Recipes Featured in Eating Well Magazine: Holiday
Issue Culinary Technique is a class where the pick a specific aspect
of cooking and really give you the ins and outs of it. Cover Page
Cooking is a new class that from these results, I hope they keep
around. Cover Page takes the recipes that are featured on the "cover"
of magazines and shows you how to prepare and present them to look
just as good. TO MAKE COOKIE DOUGH: Combine flour, sugar, baking
powder and salt in the food processor. Add butter and pulse until the
butter is in very small pieces, about 10 seconds. In a large glass
measuring cup, whisk together egg, egg white, milk, oil, vanilla and
almond extracts; with the food processor running, pour in the liquid
and mix just until smooth dough forms. Scrape the dough onto wax
paper or plastic wrap and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap and
refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. TO MAKE FILLING: Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F. Spread almonds on a baking sheet or in a pie
pan. Toast for 3 minutes; add aniseed and continue to toast until the
nuts are pale gold and the aniseed is fragrant, about 3 minutes
longer. Set aside to cool. In the food processor, combine figs,
apricots, dates, raisins, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, pepper and the
toasted almonds and aniseed. Pulse until the fruits and nuts are
finely chopped. With the machine running, pour Marsala or orange juice
through the feed tube and process until just blended. TO BAKE
COOKIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 2 large baking
sheets or coat them with non-stick cooking spray. Divide the dough
into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keeping the
remaining pieces refrigerated), roll out on a lightly floured surface
inch rectangle. (Don't worry if the edges are ragged.) Measure a scant
1/2 cup of the filling and use your hands to spread it in a strip down
the center of the dough. Use a wide spatula or pastry scraper to lift
the sides of the dough over the filling to form a roll. Use your
fingers to press down the seam, which may be a but ragged or uneven.
With a sharp knife, slice the roll on the diagonal to into 1-inch long
cookies. Set the cookies on a prepared baking sheet, spacing them
about 1 inch apart. Repeat these steps with the remaining dough and
filling. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes, or
until bottoms are pale golden and the tops are lightly
colored.Transfer the cookies to a wire continued in part 2
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