Italian Fig Cookies

Old Sicilian family recipe used at Christmas and the Louisiana traditon of St. Joseph's Table

• Ready In: 2 hrs 12 mins
• Yields: 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 8  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  tablespoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups butter
• 5  eggs
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 2 (12 ounce) packages dried figs (Calymra)
• 1  pint  fig preserves
• 16  ounces golden raisins
• 16  ounces dates
• 1  cup pecans, chopped fine
• 1  cup  almonds, chopped fine
• 1  orange, zest of
• 1  tablespoon cinnamon
• 1  tablespoon clove
• 1  tablespoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon black pepper
• 1  cup  fresh grapes or 1  cup  grape juice

Directions

1. For cookie dough:
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder.
3. Cut butter into flour mixture.
4. Add eggs, milk, and mix.
5. Knead dough until smooth. I use my Kitchen Aid heavy duty mixer with the kneading hook.
6. Let dough rest 1 hour.
7. Roll out dough and cut in 2x12inch wide strips. Place roll of fig filling in center of strip. Fold dough over filling and seal. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
8. For fillling:
9. Mix all filling ingredients and cool in refrigerator for one hour. After one hour, put flour on a smooth surface and take about a cup of filling and roll into a small cigar shape. Make it long enough to place in the 2x12 inch strips of dough.(The floured surface makes it easy to roll the filling. Also flour your hands. This filling freezes well and can be used for next year's St. Joeseph's Table or Christmas.) Repeat for each strip of cookie dough.