Day 2 … Fig Mezzaluna

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Cookies and this is by far my favorite. I was going to save this one for the last post, on Christmas Day, but decided it would be a damn shame if you didn’t get a chance to make it sooner. So I gave it a boost, and pushed it right up to the front. Trust me on this one.

Cuccidati, a sort of Italian Fig Newton without the healthy pretense, has been turning up a lot in the last few years. I’ve seen them in the foodie magazines and a few times at the fancy pants pastry chef cookie exchanges I’m lucky enough to get invites to. I bet it’s the combination of old-fashioned cookie nostalgia and the fussiness inherent in a recipe like this, traits that we chefs go crazy for. God love the Italians. An iced pastry dough encases a fig filling that oozes ever so slightly out each end and always a pinch of colored sprinkles on top. Depending on who makes them, they can range from good to mediocre. These are similar in spirit but better. So much better.

This all started with Nancy Silverton’s mezzaluna cookies. Incredibly flaky pastry half moons filled with fruity jam, they’ve been a long time favorite of mine and a solid one to have in the repertoire when the jars from a overambitous canning season start to overtake the pantry. Though I’ve made them countless times, I never thought of them as a Christmas cookie. Until now. With a festive fig filling, they could be. I was so very right. I love when I’m right.

The basis of the filling recipe came from an old issue of Gourmet that looked good – figs, raisins, citrus, winter-y spices and booze. It sounded rather mince pie-esque and it tasted even better. Holy moly, did it taste good! As it had to be made at least 8 hours ahead, I was eating it by the spoonful long before I made the dough. Let that be fair warning to you.

Folded into delicate pastry circles, baked until golden brown and then slicked with an orange glaze and the requisite colored sprinkles, these are fantastic. I would even say these are better than any of the cuccidati I’ve had at the fancy cookie parties. Sshhhhhhhh.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: VISIONS OF SUGARPLUMS. To be honest, I don’t even know exactly what a sugarplum is, but I now have visions of these little colorful cookies dancing in my head. I gave away nearly all that I baked, simply to share the joy, which I deeply regret. Maybe it’s a good thing. I would very likely eat these directly off the sheet pan, one by one by one, until they were all gone. I think of this as a rather adult cookie, despite the colored sprinkles. It’s sophisticated and delicate and probably not something the kids would like much. But then again, you never know. It is a cookie after all and colored sprinkles have universal appeal.

Six years ago: Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Five years ago: Bacon Cheddar Gougeres
Four years ago: Southern Cheese Straws
Three years ago: Kale & Squash Salad
Two years ago: Pumpkin Spice Granola
Last year: Port Wine Cheese Log

FIG MEZZALUNA COOKIES – adapted from this recipe and a bit from this recipe
makes about 60 cookies. Trust me. You’ll want 60 cookies. Please note, the filling needs to be made at least 8 hours in advance.

For the fig filling:
½ cup packed soft dried Mission figs (4 ounces), coarsely chopped, hard tips discarded
6 Tablespoons golden raisins
6 Tablespoons mild honey
2 Tablespoons brandy
¾ teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
½ teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the pastry dough:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
24 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold in ½” pieces (3 sticks)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
egg wash – 2 large egg yolks + 2 teaspoons water

For icing:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
multicolored nonpareil

1. For the filling: Pulse figs and raisins in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining filling ingredients (honey, brandy, orange and lemon zests, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt) and stir to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
4. For the pastry dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and sugar.
5. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
6. Add the vanilla and mix until the dough forms a rough ball.
7. Divide the dough into manageable pieces and roll between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper to 1/8” thickness.
8. Chill the dough sheets at least 1 hour or overnight, tightly wrapped.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2-3 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
10. To assemble: Working with 1 sheet of dough at a time and leaving the rest in the refrigerator, cut out circles with a 2 ¾” round biscuit cutter.
11. Transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan and return to the refrigerator while you do the same with the remaining dough sheets.
12. Re-roll the scraps, chilling if necessary as the dough warms up quickly.
13. Brush the edges of each round with some of the egg wash.
14. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling onto one half of each round, leaving a ¼” border; fold the other half over to enclose the filling, pressing to lightly seal. If the dough cracks and some of the filling shows through, no worries. That’s what glazes are for. Carry on.
15. Using the other, blunt, side of the round cutter, press the edges together to seal.
16. Transfer the mezzalune to one of the prepared sheet pans, spacing them 1” apart.
17. Refrigerate the filled mezzalune for at least 30 minutes.
18. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 10 minutes, rotate the pans and bake for an additional 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
19. Let cool completely on the sheet pans.
20. For the icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough orange juice to make a pourable icing.
21. Dip the cookies in the icing, letting any excess fall back into the bowl. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and decorate with nonpareil. Let the icing set for at least 1 hour.
22. The cookies are best within a day of making but hold up pretty well for a few days, well wrapped.

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