by Cara Cipolla Kretz 

Bravo to Salvatore Sciacca, Executive Director and Founder the Chicago Italian American Professionals (CIAP) for holding a first-of-its-kind and delicious event to celebrate the Sicilian Fig Cookie called cuccidati. The First Annual La Festa dei Cuccidati was the idea of Michael A. Benedetto, a Dupage County attorney, created to recognize individuals who have preserved the tradition of making Cuccidati as well as highlighting local bakeries that still produce it. All proceeds from the event went to Casa Italia.

Cuccidati is a traditional Sicilian Christmas cookie. It is a crumbly, butter pastry dough filled with a rich and sweet filling of figs, honey, nuts and spices. Twenty-five home cooks and bakeries brought their best cuccidati to compete for the best in Chicagoland. Well known Italian bakeries such as D'Amato's, Scafuri, Allegretti's, Palermo's and Sicilia Bakery sent their best cuccidati to be judged and consumed. Each home cook brought two dozen cuccidati cookies for the judges and attendees to sample.

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Source: http://www.franoi.com/