Clara's Great Depression Holiday Special!
Recipe:
Cucidati Cookies (Sicilian Cookies by Clara)
FILLING
Boil 2 cups of water and add 1/2 cups sugar. Let cook.
3/4 cups shelled hazel nuts
1/2 cups shelled almonds
1/2 cups shelled walnuts
1/2 cups shelled pecans
Toast all nuts on cookie sheet separately (different nuts take different times to toast).
Grind together with nuts:
1/2 lb. diced candied fruit
1/4 lb. dark raisins
1/4 lb. light raisins
1/4 lb. dates (pitted)
1 orange with rind
1 dried tangerine with rind
2 lbs. figs or (2 packages or atleast 14 oz. apiece)
Mix well all the ground ingredients.
Add 1/2 or 3/4 of the cooled sugar water to make a nice soft mixture (be careful not to make it too soft).
Save the rest of the sugar water mixture.
Add 1/2 cup whiskey to ground ingredients.
Mix well and let stand overnight. Keep in a fridge or cool place.
You may need to add the sugar-water the next day.
DOUGH
10 cups flour
1 cup lard
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cold milk
2 heaping table spoons baking powder
1 table spoon vanilla
12 eggs
Work flour and lard like you would pie crust.
Melt sugar in milk.
Beat egg and add vanilla.
When flour and lard are mixed well, add baking powder, then add the other ingredients and mix until you have a nice liable dough.
Let stand at least one hour, or this can be made the day before. Cover with a clean dish towel and put in the fridge or a cool place.
Roll dough.
Fill with filling (you can use a pastry bag). Cut and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 until golden brown.
If you like icing, mix milk, powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla (preferably white vanilla). Brush on cookies and sprinkle with little colored candies.
COMPLETE INGREDIENT LIST
-Flour
-Lard
-Sugar
-Milk
-Baking Powder
-Eggs
-Powdered Sugar
-White Vanilla
-Little colored candies for topping
-Filbert nuts (or Hazel nuts)
-Almonds
-Walnuts
-Pecans
-Candied frui
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4 Comments
I made these with my grandma and cousins! I am so happy to find this. My grandma passed away 5 years ago. Watching this video was like sitting down with her.
I made a movie making these cookies with my grandmother a few years ago, before she passed. Our recipes are similar, but we don't ice our cookies, just a little sugar-egg water w/sprinkles prior to baking. It gives them a nice golden color. This was a nice video.
I have no family members left, they have all passed away at an early young age, some of diseases and some through tragedies.i came across Miss Clara's video and I the happiest woman alive. To be able to share her wonderful stories( whichI wasn't able to ever do) along with age and wisdom from such a wonderful elder, I was extatic! I am absolutely going to buy her DVD's. People now a days just don't appreciate other elders.they don't know what not having is, struggles or depression times. This is why II love listening to her, the best thing is that it comes from her experience and ever so humble, loving and warm hope. I would of loved to have a Nana like that. So needless to say, I TRUELY love watching her and learning this about her and her cooking. Thank you for sharing her life with me. I look forward to watching everything she has out available. May God bless her and keep her memories in your heart forever.
Ms. Darlene
I wonder can you substitute butter for the lard?
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