Cookies filled with figs and walnuts, an easy and quick treat to prepare, perfect for snacking at any time of the day, with a buttery shortcrust pastry shell and a soft filling of dried figs with walnuts and honey. I had long thought about making filled cookies with figs, similar to the Christmas treats from Reggio Calabria, the Petrali, which are shortcrust half-moons filled with dried figs. However, I then thought, why not try a new version, similar to the September ones? And so here they are, these delicious cookies, scented with cinnamon and orange, perfect to accompany a cup of tea, enjoy at breakfast, or sip with a good coffee. In short, every moment is a good one, and with this tasty filling, they please everyone.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: About 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Cookies Filled with Figs and Walnuts
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 9 oz dried figs
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 shot rum
- to taste cinnamon
- zest of 1 orange
Tools for Preparing Cookies with Figs and Walnuts
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Pastry board
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Knife
- 1 Brush
Steps for Preparing Cookies Filled with Figs and Walnuts
Let’s start by preparing the shortcrust pastry. Place the flour, sugar, and cold butter cut into small pieces from the fridge in a large bowl. Begin working to obtain a sandy mixture. Add the baking powder, lemon zest, and an egg, start kneading to obtain a homogeneous dough. Since we use only one egg, some liquid is needed. I used lemon juice, but a bit of milk or liquor, water can also be used to achieve a soft pastry. Let it rest in the fridge while we prepare the filling.
Prepare the figs to be chopped, remove the stem and chop them finely. Place them in a food processor with the walnuts and add the liquor. You can prepare half at a time to avoid overloading the food processor
Place the mixture in a bowl, add cinnamon, honey, and orange zest, and mix. The filling is ready. It should be quite firm, not too soft.
Take the pastry from the fridge, if it’s hard, soften it by working it quickly. Roll it out on a floured surface with a rolling pin, achieving a rectangle. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. Divide the rectangle in half lengthwise, to obtain 2 narrower rectangles.
Spread the filling on each rectangle to form a sausage along the length. Close with the first flap of the rectangle, then brush the surface with water and close with the other flap, thinning it a bit so that we have a fairly uniform thickness, sealing the edges well.
If the pastry is not too soft, we can immediately cut the cookies with a large smooth-bladed knife. Cut into cookies about 1 inch wide. If it’s too soft, place it in the fridge for an hour and then cut.
As we cut the cookies, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them slightly apart from each other and bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before enjoying our fig and walnut-filled cookies.
