For the Dough:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Add the egg and vanilla
3. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives pulled in opposite directions. The dough should resemble cornmeal consistency.
4. Slowly, add ½ cup milk, mixing it with your hands. Add additional milk until it just comes together. Be careful not to make the dough too wet.
5. Once the dough is together, roll it into a long cylinder shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.

For the Filling:

1. In a food processor, fruit grinder or high intensity blender, combine and finely chop figs, dates and raisins. You may need to do this a little at a time.
2. Add the nuts, jam, honey, orange zest, and cinnamon. Pulse to mix it or combine with fruit in a separate bowl.

For the Icing:

1. Whisk together confectioner’s sugar and milk until it forms a thick glaze. Reserve nonpareils for final decoration.

Assembling the Cuccidati:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unwrap and cut the dough in half.
3. Roll out one half at a time on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle. Use a dough scraper to shape it.
4. Use half of the filling to make a log down the middle of the dough, then fold one side over it and then the other. Lightly pinch the dough together so it sticks.
5. Cut cookies to desired size. (I used a ruler and made mine 1-inch per piece in length.) Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until the cookie is slightly brown on the edges and bottom. They should look slightly dry. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
7. Once the cookies are completely cooled, sift the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl and add milk. Mix until smooth. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cookies a few at a time, sprinkling nonpareils on top.
8. Allow the icing to dry before serving. They can be frozen but the nonpareils may bleed when defrosting. They’re still delicious, though!