Advent Oneness

My theme for this week of Advent is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world".

One way I love to do that is by learning about the traditions and beliefs of people throughout the world. This week I decided to learn more about the advent customs in Italy.

Agenda:
1- Research and plan
2- Make cucidati (Italian fig cookies)
3- Make creche figures

1- Research and plan
Italian Christmas celebrations start tomorrow, December 8th, with the feast of the Immaculate Conception (L'Immacolata Concezione), a day to honor Mary because she was free from sin. The Novena starts on December 17th. And Christmas in Italy continues until Epiphany on January 6th.

I plan to add a few Italian traditions into my celebrations this year, so keep watch!

2- Make cucidati (Italian fig cookies):
These are traditional Sicilian Christmas cookies with figs, raisins, honey, and cinnamon, with the not so traditional addition of chocolate! The name means "little bracelets", which describes the shape most common for Christmas, but they also make delicious regular fig bars.

Ingredients:

• 1/3-c. sugar
• 1/2-c. butter
• 2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4-tsp. salt
• 1/2-c. cold water
• 1-1/2 c. dried figs
• 1-1/2 c. raisins
• 2 c. walnuts
• 1/2-c. honey
• 1/4 c. chocolate chips
• 1/4-c. orange marmalade
• 1/2-Tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• powdered sugar and milk for glaze
• multi-coloured sprinkles

Makes 40 fig bars, or 5 dozen smaller cookies-

1- Beat together the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl, and add 2 c. flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix, adding water gradually, until ingredients hold together. If the dough is sticky, add the remaining 1/4 c. flour.

2- Put the dough on a lightly floured board and knead for a 
minute, until smooth and elastic. 



Divide into 4 parts, and shape each piece into a disc. Put into a plastic bag in the  refrigerator. 

3- Remove the stems from the dried figs and snip into smaller pieces. 

Blend up the raisins, figs, chocolate chips, and walnuts into a fine grainy meal (use a food processor if you have one- I used my blender). 

4- Add the honey, marmalade, cinnamon, and lemon juice and mix with an electric mixer until it comes together into a paste.

Scrape the filling into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

5- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

6- Bring out the dough and divide a disc into 2 pieces. Roll out these first 2 pieces of dough on a lightly floured board, . Use a knife to trim them to form  two 2x14-inch rectangles.

7- Scoop out about 1/5-th of the filling and use floured hands to roll it into two 14-inch logs. 

Place the fig logs in the center of the dough rectangles. 

8. Carefully fold over the long edges of each rectangle to meet in the center, then pinch the seam to close it securely, and turn the log seam-side down. 

Cut each log into about 9 little tubes. Use scissors to make 3 small snips in the side of each tube, bend a little, and place onto the cookie sheet.

To make regular fig bars, roll one of the disks of dough into a 16 x 4-inch rectangle, and cut the cookies into short sections. 

9- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

10- Make a glaze: Stir together powdered sugar and a little milk until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze and sprinkle with colored sprinkles.

3- Make creche figures:

The main decoration in Italy is the presepe- the nativity scene or creche. They are often handcrafted and are handed down from generation to generation. Traditionally, it was St. Francis of Assisi who made the first crèche, in honor of animals who shared the stable with the baby Jesus.

We don't put out our creche until later, but we thought it might be time to make some new figures. We made Mary and Joseph with fabric and glue when my kids were very young. The donkey and bird (on the roof) are Fimo and the manger is balsa wood.