Cucciddatu

Preparation:

Preparation: Still today in Sicily you can see figs dried in the sun and strung on long strings of string or 'incannati', that is skewered on reed skewers. Part of these will be used in winter to make buccellati, Christmas sweets which, even today, contrast with honor to the Nordic panettone and pandoro. The 'cucciddàtu' has an ancient origin and a sure ancestor in the 'panificatus' of the Romans. Its name derives from the late Latin buccellatum, i.e. bread to be transformed into buccelli, i.e. morsels, due to its softness. There are several variants for shapes and sizes: in the Palermo area the 'ammara-panza' are poor-quality types of buccellati that are used to fill the stomach. Mix the flour, butter, sugar and a spoonful of Marsala in a bowl and mix everything with your hands. Let the dough rest for about an hour and then roll it out with a rolling pin. In the meantime, prepare the filling made from dried figs, raisins, sultanas, almonds, pine nuts, orange zest, sugar, cloves and a pinch of pepper. Finely chop everything by mixing with a little sugar. Wrap the filling in the dough, giving the shape of a donut on which you will make small incisions. Brush with egg yolk and bake for twenty minutes. When it has cooled, decorate with icing sugar, pistachio pieces and candied fruit.