Annie--I've only used dried figs--buy them in 8 oz pkg--there's 24-25 in the packages I buy & that's the amt I use in the Cuccidati--I just snip into pieces using my kitchen shears.

Here's a little different filling-bit easier to make --I've tried both but really prefer the other one--has more of a fig bar taste. And as you can see I'm not real particular about the pieces I cut off the filled "logs"--plus I like more filling than is really necessary.

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Christmas Cookies

Choc Cuccidati

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2 cups Dried figs

1/4 cup Yellow raisins

1/4 cup Currants or dark raisins

1/4 cup Candied orange peel

1/4 cup Toasted, sliced almonds

1/4 cup Toasted pine nuts

2 ounces Bittersweet chocolate

chopped

1/3 cup Apricot preserves

1/4 cup Dark rum

1 teaspoon Instant espresso coffee

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ground clove

.
---------------DOUGH--------------------

3-1/3 Cups Flour 1 Cup Sugar 1 Teaspoon Baking powder 12 Tablespoons

Lard or butter 2 Eggs 1/3 Cup Milk

EGG WASH FOR ASSEMBLING

1 Egg 1 Pinch Salt Confectioners' sugar . Instructions The name of

these filled pastries is Cucidati, which is Sicilian for Buccellati, or

"little bracelets."

1. FOR THE FILLING: Stem the figs and quarter them. Place in a bowl and

cover with boiling water; steep 10 minutes. Drain and chop coarsely in

the food processor. Combine with remaining ingredients. To prepare in

advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep at a cool room

temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

2. FOR THE DOUGH: Combine the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl

and stir to mix. Rub in the lard or butter finely, leaving the mixture

powdery. Beat the eggs and milk to combine in a small bowl and stir

into the flour mixture to form a dough.

3. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly a

few times. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill. Divide the dough into

12 pieces and roll each into a cylinder about 12 inches long. Flour the

surface and the dough lightly and roll it into a rectangle about 14

inches long and 3 inches wide. Place a line of the filling down the

center of each rectangle, using 1/12 of the filling for each piece of

dough. Bring up the dough around the filling and pinch to seal. Turn

the filled sausage of dough over so that the seam is on the bottom and

cut it into 3 1/2- to 4-inch lengths.

4. Using a sharp paring knife or single-edge razor blade, make a series

of diagonal slashes in the top of each little sausage. Pull and twist

gently, holding the sausage at each end to open the slashes.

5. Transfer the Cucidati as they are formed to paper- lined cookie

sheets, curving them into wide horseshoe shapes. Make an egg wash by

beating the egg and salt together with a fork until it is loose. Paint

each shape with the egg wash. Bake the Cucidati in a preheated 350F

oven about 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden color. Cool,

dust with confectioners' sugar and store the Cucidati in tins, between

layers of wax paper.

These are from last year--the recipe posted on Christmas Cookie post Cuccidati .