Cuccidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies)

Recipe

Filling:
8 Oz. Dry figs, hard tips discarded
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup roasted walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped
**refrigerate overnight**

Pastry Dough:

4 cups AP flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla ext
1 tsp orange zest
**wrap and refrigerate overnight**

Icing:

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla ext

Instructions:
To the bowl of a food processor, add all of the filling ingredients except for the nuts. Pulse until you achieve a purée consistency. Remember to remove the hard stems from the dried figs.
Add the chopped nuts to the puree and mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight so that the flavors can marry.
To the bowl of a food processor, add butter and flour and pulse until you achieve a crumbly consistency. Add sugar baking powder and salt and pulse again a few times. Whisk eggs and add to the mixture along with the milk and vanilla extract. Continue pulsing until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cut the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll out each piece to about a quarter of an inch thick. Take the filling and roll it out to a log about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place on top of the dough and fold the dough over the filling and seal the seam. Place the dough seam side down and cut into 2 inch segments. At this point you can make your designs. Using a paring knife cut slits into the segment to expose the fig mixture. Each cookie should have about three cuts. Slightly bend the cookie to fan out the cuts. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Once the cookies have cooled, make the icing. Glaze each cookie with icing and sprinkle with nonpareil sprinkles.