Sicilian Fig Cookies

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.25 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped dried figs
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 large orange
• 2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup honey
• 0.5 cup dark rum
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps

1. For the pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk; mix into a smooth dough. Turn dough out and shape into a circle; cut into 4 equal pieces, cover in plastic wrap, and chill.
2. For the filling: Zest and juice orange into a large bowl; add figs, raisins, and nuts. Transfer mixture to a food processor; blend until evenly chopped. Stir in honey, rum, and cinnamon; set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
4. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 8-inch wide strip about 1/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise in half, forming two long strips, each about 4 inches wide. Lay strips on work surface; brush top inch of each with cold water. About 1/3 of the way up from bottom of dough, place 1/4 of the filling in a 1-inch wide strip, running from end to end. Fold the moistened edge of dough over the filling and press to seal edges. Cut each strip into 1-inch rectangles and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining sections of dough.
5. Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden, about 13 to 16 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks.