The Modern Baker: Sicilian Fig Bars. Win a Free Cookbook.

Although fig bars are standard American fare, fig-filled cookies are also very traditional in Sicily, where they are called cucidati. I’ve decided to merge the two and make a fig bar that is shaped like the industrially-made one, but has some typical Sicilian seasonings in it for extra flavor.

These make great Christmas cookies – they’re easy to prepare, and they keep well, whether you store them tightly covered in a tin or plastic container, or wrap and freeze them.

I like to use the dried green figs that are called Calimyrna figs for the filling, though you may also use dried black mission figs which are also very flavorful. One note of caution about using dried figs – during the drying process the stems become very hard and sharp, so be sure to snip them off before preparing the filling.

Makes about 30 cookies

DOUGH

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12 pieces

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FILLING

1 1/2 pounds dried Calimyrna figs

1 cup water

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup dark rum, optional

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans lined with parchment or foil

1. To make the filling, snip the stems from the figs, and snip each into 5 or 6 pieces into a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to mix.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, then decrease the heat to low and allow the filling to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it is thickened, but not extremely thick. Cool the filling and puree it in the food processor with the metal blade. You may refrigerate both the dough and filling for a couple of days before continuing.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is finely mixed in, but the mixture is still cool and powdery. Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball.
4. Invert the bowl to a floured work surface and carefully remove the blade. Briefly knead the dough 2 or 3 times to make it smooth. Shape the dough into a rough cylinder. You may wrap and refrigerate it for several days before preparing the cookies.
5. When you are ready to bake the cookies, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
6. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each to a rope about 12 inches long.
7. Place one rope on a floured surface and press and roll it to make a rectangle of dough about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Pipe or spoon a sixth of the filling down the middle of the dough, spreading it with a small offset spatula to be about 2 inches wide. Use a pastry brush to paint the exposed dough with water and bring it up all around to enclose the filling. Pinch the seam closed where the 2 pieces of dough meet. Turn the filled piece of dough over so that the seam is on the bottom and transfer it to one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing three filled doughs on each pan.
8. Bake the cookies until the dough is set and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Cool the cookies on the pans and when they are cool, trim the edges and use a sharp knife to cut them into 2 1/2-inch lengths.

Storage: Keep the cookies between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting cover.

Hints for Baking Christmas Cookies

Here are a few hints to help make baking Christmas cookies an easy and pleasurable experience:

1. Choose you recipes well in advance. Make a list, then eliminate a third of the recipes. Paging through cookbooks looking for recipes makes us all overly ambitious.
2. Make a photocopy of each recipe – then you won’t have to bring books into the kitchen, especially if your counter space is cramped. And your books won’t get stained while you’re mixing and shaping cookies.
3. Make a physical inventory of your ingredients. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened a cupboard and seen that the ginger or baking powder are sitting on the shelf, only to discover later on when I was ready to use them, that the container or jar only had a little left in the bottom. Open jars, bags, and other containers to make sure how much is there. Sniff spices to make sure they haven’t become too old to impart the flavor you need.
4. Inventory equipment, too. Make sure you have the correct sizes of pans, especially for bar cookies which would bake up too thick or too thin if you change the pan size. Check that you have cutters and any other specialty equipment required. Take a look at the parchment paper or non-stick foil to make sure you have enough. And don’t forget the containers you’ll need for storing the baked cookies.
5. Over-estimate your use of staples such as flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. You might taste a new recipe and decide you need another batch or two.
6. Clean the refrigerator and freezer – make sure you’ll have room to chill doughs and freeze baked cookies.
7. Get a buddy: Enlist the help of a friend so you can bake together and be twice as productive. Decide on how you’ll split the baked cookies beforehand, though.
8. If you are preparing any recipes that require room temperature ingredients, take them out late the night before so they’ll be at the right temperature for mixing.
9. Get an early start: Have a good breakfast and start baking early in the day. I like to start in the pre-dawn hours to make sure I won’t be distracted by the phone during the first few critical hours.
10. Measure out all the ingredients before starting a recipe, then go back and check that they’re all there. Nothing is worse than putting a pan of cookies into the oven and realizing that you never put in the baking powder or you missed one of spices.
11. When pans need to be buttered, use soft, not melted, butter – it coats more thickly assuring a good release. Just put a stick of butter into a small pan or bowl with a brush and place it near the stove.
12. Wear comfortable shoes that give you good support, especially if you’re not accustomed to spending an entire day on your feet.
13. Plan on a nourishing and easy lunch before you start baking – this can be as easy as making a sandwich and wrapping it up. You’ll be happy you did when you get hungry and don’t need to stop to decide what to eat, or worse, start picking on the nuts and chocolate and wind up with an upset stomach and still have hours of baking ahead of you.
14. Unless you have a really large kitchen, plan on a place for cooling baked cookies. Cover your dining table with a heatproof pad and set out some racks. I have a couple of cheap folding tables that are stored in a closet most of the time. For heavy baking, I use one to hold ingredients waiting to be used and another to hold the cooling racks and finished cookies.
15. Use a ruler: If you need to cut bar cookies into 2-inch squares, measure the correct distance so they’ll look neat and all be the same size.
16. Above all, enjoy the process – holiday baking should provide you with as much pleasure as the results will to their recipients.

What are your favorite Christmas cookies? Gather will draw one respondent to win a copy of Modern Baker. Comments must be posted by Sunday, December 21^st.