On a recent cold and gray December Sunday, dozens of Italian families gathered to celebrate a Sicilian Christmas cookie at Casa Italia, the Italian cultural center in west suburban Stone Park. Little ...

I believe there’s room on the table for all the cookies during December. Sure, we have our must-bakes—mine are gingerbread cookies and these nameless, cherry-spiked butter cookies—but you should leave ...

Think of cuccidati as a more mature Fig Newton. The classic Sicilian cookies make an appearance around Christmastime, filling flaky dough with a fig or mixed-fruit jam. Enjoyed as is or smeared with ...

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven until they are lightly golden and aromatic, 5 - 10 minutes. Set aside & cool. Plump the raisins in some ...

The Sons & Daughters of Italy and C. Colombo Lodge 1315 will host its annual Cuccidati Contest and Italian cookie sale and festival on Nov. 12 at a new venue, the Pittsburg Youth Development Center.

For Christmas, many Italian and Sicilian families make fig cookies, or cuccidati. In Spain and many South American countries, people eat one grape for each of the upcoming 12 months to ensure good ...

As beautiful as they are delicious, these festive Italian Cuccidati cookies feature orange zest-flavored dough filled with a mixture of figs, chocolate, Marsala wine, and nuts.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven until they are lightly golden and aromatic, 5 - 10 minutes. Set aside & cool. Plump the raisins in some ...