Fig cookies (Settembrini), the cookies with fresh figs that welcome back autumn just like the Grandma’s fig cake, and little treats perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, like the many delicious cookie recipes I’ve made so far. Do you remember the famous Settembrini cookies from Mulino Bianco? I adore them, and today I propose my homemade version: cookies filled with fresh figs and almonds. When at the end of summer the fig trees begin to fill with sweet, ripe fruit, I feel like getting my hands in the dough again and start baking the first cakes and cookies of the season. During the summer I’m one of the few brave souls who doesn’t give up turning on the oven; although I rarely make sweets, I focus much more on savory recipes. As soon as autumn starts to peek in and the late-August rains invite you to stay home, I get the urge to bake sweet, fragrant, delicious cookies again. So this year I started the season by preparing Settembrini, the famous shortcrust pastry cookies filled with fresh figs, hazelnuts and almonds. Fig cookies with a soft, fragrant center, just like the ones from the 80s. A truly delicious recipe that surprised me for its flavor and simplicity and that was very successful at home! Let’s go to the kitchen—I’ll tell you how to make homemade fig cookies, but first remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: About 38 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients to make Settembrini fig cookies
- 3 1/3 cups figs (peeled and cleaned, chopped)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1.75 oz hazelnuts (toasted, unsalted (about 1/3 cup))
- 1.75 oz almonds (toasted, unsalted (about 1/3 cup))
- 1 lemon (organic, juice and zest)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 1/3 cups 00 flour (Italian '00' flour)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/8 cup butter
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder (for pastries)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- to taste lemon zest
- 1 egg (large)
- 1 egg yolk
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Bowls
- Oven
- Knife with a smooth blade
- Freezer
- Food processor optional
- Blenders / Mixers
- Rolling pin
Rinse the figs and peel them, cut them into small pieces and place them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Stir and let rest for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a pot, set over high heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring continuously; in the end you should obtain a jam-like, thick and slightly caramelized mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool while you chop the hazelnuts and almonds. Hazelnuts are easily found already skinned and toasted; as for the almonds, toast them in a pan for a few minutes until browned. Once cool, roughly chop them together with the hazelnuts and add them to the figs.
Also add the cinnamon, stir and set aside.
Prepare the shortcrust pastry by placing the cold butter, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, lemon zest, eggs, baking powder and flour into the bowl of a food processor. Work for 30–40 seconds until you obtain a crumbly mixture—be careful the mixture doesn’t heat up. Turn it out onto a work surface and work for a few more seconds until you have a smooth, homogeneous dough. If you don’t have a food processor, proceed the classic way: make a well in the flour, add the butter and rub it in, reform the well and add the remaining ingredients. Work quickly to obtain a uniform dough (if it has warmed up too much, refrigerate for 20 minutes).
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and place them on parchment paper. Roll each piece into sheets about 4 3/4 inches (12 cm) wide and about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
Place the filling lengthwise down the center of each sheet. Then wrap the filling in the shortcrust pastry to form long cylinders and slightly flatten them. Be careful to seal the edges well so the filling is perfectly enclosed.
Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, then using a sharp knife, cut the cylinders into pieces about 1 1/4–1 1/2 inches (3–4 cm) long and arrange them on parchment paper. Bake in convection mode for 15–20 minutes at 356°F (180°C) in a preheated oven, then remove from the oven and let cool.
Eat the cookies at room temperature and store any leftovers in a cool, dry place: arrange them on a tray and cover with a kitchen towel. Consume the fig cookies within a couple of weeks and, in any case, before they lose their freshness.
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