I use this one, from Diane/craftyrn, we love it and I find the dough very easy to work with. I usually don't frost them and the filling does freeze well. I get figs here dried in a round tub and I just use a tubful. I also flatten out the rolls a bit, so they are more shaped like a Fig Newton, it makes them easy to glaze.

Cuccidati Recipe
================
Crust:
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
rind of 1 orange
4 teaspoons orange juice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling:
1 string of figs
8 ounces raisins
8 ounces brown sugar
1 pound walnuts
1 pound dates
1 orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 ounces whiskey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups water
Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
4 ounces butter
orange juice
. .
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Crust: In large bowl, cream together first 3 ingredients. Add orange
juice and orange rind. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking
powder. Add to creamed mixture along with vanilla.
Filling: Prepare several days ahead of time. In a food grinder, grind
figs and raisins. In large saucepan, simmer raisins and figs with brown
sugar and water for 15 minutes. Grind walnuts, dates, and orange. Stir
into hot mixture along with cinnamon, black pepper, and whiskey. Remove
from stove, mix well, cover, and let mellow for 3 days. Note: This
recipe makes enough filling for 2 batches of crust and can be divided
and frozen for up to six months.
Roll dough into 3" wide strips on pastry cloth. Lay filling down the
center and wrap dough to form a long "sausage-like" cookie. Roll back
and forth until crust seems very thin. Cut in diagonal about every 1
1/2 inches. Place on cookie sheet close together and bake for 10-13
minutes. Cookies should be barely brown. Cool and store in tins 5 days,
then frost.
Frosting: In medium bowl, mix together margarine and powdered sugar
until well blended. Add enough juice to make a thick glaze. Top cookies
with a thin coat. Let frosting dry a couple of hours then store in tins
as follows.
To Store: Line tins with foil, place a layer of cookies, then a layer
of wax paper (NOT plastic wrap). Keep repeating, ending with foil and then the lid.
* my notes:
I usually just dust with confectioners sugar tho the frosted ones are good too.
I always end up with extra filling even tho I make 2 batches of dough. The extra filling I use in Thumbprint cookies. Can be frozen .
It's also good mixed with cream cheese as a spread for bagels or English muffins or as a basis for Sugar Plums.

Annie

Oh that crust/dough sounds very yum and different from any that we have tried. I will likely sub our homemade lard and 1/2 butter for the margarine but follow the rest to a " T". We use Nick Malgieri's filling with brandy in it. Have to have little booze for the holidays !!! Hope you will make yours and post and I will do the same. Thank you , Annie . c

c, you are so welcome. I do plan to make these, although no one eats them except Elery and I, so I have to make small batches or start skipping meals in order to eat cookies. (grin) I didn't think of subbing lard, although I never use margarine, I just automatically substitute butter. Hmmm, this might be the perfect experiment, because you know they are going to be delicious no matter what.

Annie

Oh yes lard for sure...but since we like the taste and texture of the butter we usually do 1/2 and 1/2. Our oldest son the chef/butcher has started making tallow candles and selling them. they are wonderful. He scents them with lavender and rosemary. He rends the lard over his charcoal grill...really slow fire. He has already sold tons of them in 4 oz jars. So if you want to try your hand at that you could give some lovely presents. He puts the rosemary branches in as it rends and there is NO odor at all from the tallow...quite amazing. Happy Holidays. c

These seem similar to rugelach?

Nope.. Very different more like a rolled elaborate fig Newton.. Must have the white icing and colored sprinkles and rich dried fruit filling. Look at the pics online. We grew up eating the ones from Brocatto's in NOLA.. They used to be the best... Now DH's are way better . The bakeries have had to cut corners

Bumblebeez, very much different than rugelach. It is like a very fancy and yummy fig newton. I'll post pictures when I get them made. I have some pictures of past years on Photobucket, but I'll be darned if I know how to post pictures from there to here.

Annie

Ooh, I haven't seen these in years. Thanks for the recipe, Annie. I think I'll make them to take to my brother's for Christmas.

BTW, what would make a good sub for the whiskey?

Thanks, trailrunner. I do have a bottle of sherry that I had forgotten about, so maybe I'll try that.