Sicilian Fruit Filled Pastry

These fruit-filled pastries are the kind of recipe that gets passed down through generations of Sicilian-American families, usually on a handwritten card splattered with flour and love.

The tender dough wraps around a filling that reads like a treasure chest: dried figs soaked until plump, chocolate chips, toasted almonds, walnuts, raisins, dates, candied citron, and a splash of brandy to tie it all together.

Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice fill the kitchen while they bake to a golden finish.

A simple lemon-vanilla icing gets brushed on while they’re still warm, then set in the oven for just a moment to create that signature matte glaze.

Pro Tips

• Soak the dried figs in hot water for the full 5 minutes. Under-soaked figs are tough to chop and won’t blend smoothly into the filling.
• Chill the filling for at least an hour before assembling. Cold filling is much easier to handle and won’t ooze out of the dough.
• Roll the dough thin, about ⅛ inch. Thick dough overwhelms the filling and you lose the fruit-to-pastry ratio that makes these special.
• These freeze beautifully before icing. Bake, cool, freeze in single layers, then ice after thawing for fresh-looking holiday platters.

Variations

• Swap brandy for Marsala wine for an even more authentically Sicilian flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the filling for a mocha twist.
• Replace the lemon icing with a dusting of powdered sugar for a simpler, rustic finish.