Cuccidati ( Fig Cookies)

• To the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. (I like to use the dough blade for this.)
• Add cold cubes of butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces.
• Add the vanilla and eggs to the food processor and mix until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. Cover each section tightly in plastic wrap, then gently press down to form a disc. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Make the Filling

• Place the standard metal blade into the food processor. Add dried figs, walnuts, and dates to the food processor and chop until small, even pieces form.
• Add orange zest, marmalade, and Marsala wine. Pulse until the filling forms a chunky “paste”. Set aside.

Assembly

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• When the dough is chilled (it should be firm all the way through the disc), remove dough from the refrigerator, and unwrap. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut each disc in half, to create 4 equal sized pieces. Rewrap 3 sections of dough and return them to the fridge.
• Place the unwrapped dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Cover the top of dough with plastic. Using a rolling pin, roll over the dough to create a rectangle shape, approximately 6 inches by 14 inches. Remove the plastic wrap.
• Divide the fig filling mixture into 4 sections. Form one section of the filling into a log shape, long enough to cover the length of the dough rectangle. Place the filling log in the center of the dough rectangle.
• Fold the dough over the filling from one side and then the other. Flip the cookie log so the seam side is down; press gently to seal the seam closed.
• The dough should still be firm; if it is soft, refrigerate for 15 minutes or so, until firm.
• Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the log, on the diagonal, into 1-inch sections. Arrange cookies 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until bottom edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

Decorate

• To a medium bowl, add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons cream; whisk to combine. Add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick, smooth glaze.
• Dip the top of one cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Sprinkle nonpareils over the wet glaze, and transfer dipped cookie to a cooling rack to allow glaze to set (15-30 minutes). Repeat decorating with remaining cookies.