----FILLING----
2 c  Dried figs
1/4 c  Yellow raisins
1/4 c  Currants or dark raisins
1/4 c  Candied orange peel
1/4 c  Toasted, sliced almonds
1/4 c  Toasted pine nuts
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate
- chopped
1/3 c  Apricot preserves
1/4 c  Dark rum
1 ts Instant espresso coffee
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Ground cloves

DOUGH
3 1/3 c Flour
1 c Sugar
1 ts Baking powder
12 tb Lard or butter
2 Eggs
1/3 c Milk

-EGG WASH FOR ASSEMBLING-
1 Egg
1 pn Salt
Confectioners sugar

The name of these filled pastries is Cucidati, which is Sicilian for
Buccellati, or “little bracelets.” FOR THE FILLING: Stem the figs and
quarter them. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water; steep 10
minutes. Drain and chop coarsely in the food processor. Combine with
remaining ingredients. To prepare in advance, cover tightly with plastic
wrap and keep at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3
days. FOR THE DOUGH: Combine the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl
and stir to mix. Rub in the lard or butter finely, leaving the mixture
powdery. Beat the eggs and milk to combine in a small bowl and stir into
the flour mixture to form a dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured
surface and knead lightly a few times. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a cylinder about 12
inches long. Flour the surface and the dough lightly and roll it into a
rectangle about 14 inches long and 3 inches wide. Place a line of the
filling down the center of each rectangle, using 1/12 of the filling for
each piece of dough. Bring up the dough around the filling and pinch to
seal. Turn the filled sausage of dough over so that the seam is on the
bottom and cut it into 3 1/2- to 4-inch lengths. Using a sharp paring knife
or single-edge razor blade, make a series of diagonal slashes in the top of
each little sausage. Pull and twist gently, holding the sausage at each end
to open the slashes. Transfer the Cucidati as they are formed to paper-
lined cookie sheets, curving them into wide horseshoe shapes. Make an egg
wash by beating the egg and salt together with a fork until it is loose.
Paint each shape with the egg wash. Bake the Cucidati in a preheated 350F
oven about 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden color. Cool, dust
with confectioners sugar and store the Cucidati in tins, between layers of
wax paper.