Description
A delightful collection of Italian Christmas cookies perfect for holiday celebrations, featuring Biscotti, Pignoli, and Cucidati.
Ingredients
- Biscotti: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup almonds
- Pignoli: 1 cup almond paste, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg white, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1/3 cup pine nuts, Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- Cucidati: 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 5 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups dried figs, chopped, 1/2 cup nuts (walnuts or almonds), chopped, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Biscotti: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Gradually incorporate flour mixture, fold in almonds. Divide dough, form two logs on the baking sheet, flatten slightly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool 10 minutes, slice diagonally, bake additional 10-15 minutes until crispy.
- Pignoli: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix almond paste, powdered sugar, and egg white in a bowl until smooth. Stir in almond extract, chill for 30 minutes. Roll into balls, coat in pine nuts, flatten slightly. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
- Cucidati: To make dough, cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Gradually add flour until dough forms. Chill for 1 hour. In another bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Roll out dough, cut into squares, fill with a spoonful of filling, fold into triangles, seal edges. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes until lightly golden. Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
These cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings and can be made in advance. Feel free to get creative with decorations and presentations.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg