Buccellatini

This recipe ties to the last recipe I posted, Buccellato Siciliano .  You may not want to make a large wreath and maybe prefer to make some biscuits instead.  These are called Buccellatini and they are made using the exact same ingredients.  I’m adding a separate post though because although the ingredients are the same, the end result is quite different. They resemble a ‘Fig Newton’, are often decorated with simple white icing and hundreds & thousands and I remember my Calabrian Nonna making something like these during my childhood..  I decided to make Buccellatini when I realised I had some leftover pastry and filling, and I hate to waste good ingredients!

Please note, the quantities of the ingredients are exactly the same as for the Buccellato, so be aware that you will make many Buccellatini! 

Buccellatini

PASTRY

• 500g plain flour
• 150g white sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g lard
• 3 eggs
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon honey

Sift the flour and add to a food processor.  Add all other ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured work bench, knead gently and roll into a sausage-like shape.  Cover in plastic kitchen wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

FILLING

• 500g dried figs, chopped
• 300g jar fig jam
• 100g almonds
• 100g hazlenuts
• 50g walnuts
• 50g pistachio nuts
• 50ml ‘Zibibbo’ wine or Marsala
• 300g mixed candied peel
• 100g dark chocolate, grated
• 50g suet (or vegetable fat i.e. Crisco)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 beaten egg (to brush on pastry)
• Orange Marmalade, glacè cherries, ground pistachio  and candied orange peel to decorate

1. Chop the figs and candied peel into small pieces.
2. Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Add figs, nuts, fig jam, Zibibbo, candied peel, lemon zest, suet, cinnamon and ground cloves to a large saucepan. Heat on low heat, and mix all ingredients well for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow filling to cool completely.
4. Mix grated chocolate through filling.
5. Shape the piece of pastry dough into a rectangle, then roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured board and cut into a rectangle shape.
6. Spoon or use a piping bag to pipe the fig filling in a strip down the center of the pastry rectangle. Brush one long edge of the pastry with beaten egg and fold the pastry over the filling, aligning the edges. Press down on the seam to close it. Refrigerate for 10 – 15 minutes.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice filled pastry into cookie size you desire and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
8. Preheat oven to 180°C.
9. Repeat process utilising all pastry and filling. (You can prepare a whole tray, refrigerating as they are prepared and bake them all at once).  Use pastry tweezers or crimpers if you wish to pinch the pastry 2 – 3 times on top. Position them close together on the baking tray.
10. Bake Buccellatini for 15 -20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Allow them to cool for 5 minutes.  Heat orange marmalade in a saucepan over low heat and once warm, use a pastry brush to coat the surface of the Buccellatini.
11. Transfer to a wire rack, decorate with ground pistachio and candied orange peel and then let cool completely.

BUCCELLATINI