Delicious Christmas Buccellati Siciliani Recipe
This buccellati siciliani recipe easy was first published on November 21, 2024.
We are going back to the South of Italy today with a traditional Christmas pastry ricetta. Buccellati Siciliani are rich and decadent pastries full of nuts, honey and jam, enveloped in a shortcrust pastry. When I first looked at them I thought they might not have been something I would have liked and I was mistaken!
After chatting about Christmas markets and Christmas vocabulary, you know how obsessed we are with this holiday! Call it the season of pandoro, panpepato or limoncello pandoro and we can’t resist! So if you are in for a Christmas foodie gift, the buccellati siciliani is what you need!
And if you are after more Christmas recipes, check these out:
- the recipe for this pandoro farcito is ready to be enjoyed;
- these words you need to learn full of Italian Christmas vocabulary is one you can’t miss out on;
- a delicious recipe for some vegan struffoli;
- both this pistachio liqueur and pistachio cream make the perfect presents to hand to family and friends!
- pistachio panettone, on our sister blog, we have one of the most delicious takes on panettone;
- panpepato cake, an Emilian spiced dessert you can’t miss for the holidays;
- Sicilian toto cookies, spiced cookies made for All Saints’ Day but now beloved for the holidays too;
- this delicious limoncello pandoro, because homemade gifts are the best;
- these delicious spiced Sicilian cookies called buccellati;
- the recipe for pesce finto, to serve on Christmas eve;
- these extremely traditional scrippelle, ready to be savoured on your next Christmas lunch.
What are bucellati siciliani? What are their origins?
Buccellati or cucciddati (in Sicilian dialect), are traditional Sicilian pastries eaten during the Christmas season |(known in Italian as ‘dolci delle feste’). The origin of these Christmas fig cookies are linked to the blend of influences – Arab, Roman and Norman – on the island that shaped the culture and cusine of Sicily.
Buccellati are a blend between the spices, almonds and figs that the Arabs introduced in Sicily and the ancient Roman pastries made with dried fruits. They are made from shortcrust pastry and filled with a rich mixture of figs, almonds, walnuts, raisins, honey, spices and citrus zest. The filling is enveloped in the dough and can be decorated with designs or just left as is. Some recipes call for powdered sugar and other with icing for added sweetness.
Buccellati siciliani are traditionally given as Christmas gifts to friends and family, as they symbolise abundance and festivity. Nowadays, you can enjoy these pastries all year round in some regions.
What are the buccellati siciliani ingredients?
So to make this delicious Buccellati recipe you will need several ingredients, but I swear, it’s so worth it! For the shortcrust pastry, you will need flour, egg, sugar, brown sugar, butter, baking powder, ammonia for desserts and milk.
For the rich filling you will need dried figs (or fichi secchi in italian), hazelnuts, almonds, dark chocolate, sugar, raisins, cocoa powder, peach jam and honey. Some easy swaps could be some of the nuts or jam flavour, but I would avoid changing them entirely.
How do I make buccellati siciliani?
The buccellati cookies recipe might be long, but I can assure you that it looks more daunting than it really is! You only need some patience for the waiting time, but it’s quite easy overall!
Start by soaking raisins and figs in water to make them softer. Then start on the shortcrust pastry. Combine the 00 flour, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the softened butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the egg and a pinch of ammonia for desserts. Mix until it’s well combined. Gradually add milk, a little at a time, until the dough comes together smoothly without sticking (you will only need a small quantity). Be careful not to overwork it.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or even overnight. While the dough is chilling, start preparing the filling. Sift the figs and raisins.
Cut the figs into small pieces and add them to a bowl with the raisins. Cut into pieces almonds, hazelnuts and the dark chocolate and add them to the same bowl. (You can also use a food processor and pulse the nuts and figs, but make sure to leave them quite coarse). Add the cocoa powder, sugar, honey and jam and combine.
Let the filling rest for at least 1 hour or overnight. When everything is ready, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a floured surface in a rectangle to about 3-4 mm thick. Spread all the filling and roll it. Cut the roll into 2-3 cm slices and place them on the baking tray.
Cook at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. Let the buccellati siciliani cool fully before dusting them with icing sugar. Enjoy! You can serve these just with a cup of tea or coffee to compliment the flavours!
Any other Sicilian recipes you would recommend?
You asked and I served:
- biancomangiare recipe: easy, just a few ingredients for a delicious dessert that will bring back the memories!
- pistachio granita: are you even visiting Sicily if you don’t try granita? But worry not, you can take it home with you!
- pistachio lasagna: when lasagna meets green gold, you get the best pasta in a dish!
- pistachio cream: are we slightly pistachio-obsessed? Maybe!
- busiate alla trapanese: if you love pasta and some adventure, this is the one!
- impanata alla siciliana: probably my dad’s favourite childhood memory and can’t blame him!
- involtini alla siciliana: if you love a good mix of meat and veg, read this now!
- gelo al limone: all you could dream of when you think of the best lemon dessert!
Buccellati Siciliani
Ingredients
Buccellati dough:
- 250 g 00 flour
- 1 egg
- 60 g sugar
- 70 g brown sugar
- 80 g butter
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- a pinch of ammonia for dessert
- milk as you need
- powdered sugar
Buccellati filling:
- 5 dried figs
- 50 g hazelnuts
- 50 g almonds
- 40 g dark chocolate
- 50 g sugar
- 30 g raisins
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 60 g peach jam
- 60 g honey
Instructions
- Start by soaking raisins and figs in water.
- Proceed by preparing the buccellati dough. In a bowl, combine the 00 flour, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the softened butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg and a pinch of ammonia for desserts. Mix until combined. Gradually add milk, a little at a time, until the dough comes together smoothly without sticking. Be careful not to overwork it.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or even overnight.
- While the dough is chilling, start preparing the filling. Sift the figs and raisins. Cut the figs in small pieces and add them to a bowl with the raisins.
- Cut into pieces almonds, hazelnuts and the dark chocolate and add them to the same bowl. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, honey and jam and combine.
- Let the filling rest for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When everything is ready, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface in a rectangle to about 3-4 mm thick. Spread all the filling and roll it. Cut the roll into slices of 2-3 cm and place them on the baking tray.
- Cook at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.
- Let the buccellati siciliani cool fully before dusting them with icing sugar. Enjoy!
Hope you have enjoyed reading about these buccellati siciliani and if you get to make them or gift them, let us know how they went!
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