Fig and Olive Shortbreads (Frollini Ai Fichi E Olive)

MAKES 24 TO 30 

Olives are fruits, so why not treat them as such? A good salt-cured ripe black olive that’s been stored in oil has the texture of a plump raisin, and a similar sort of concentrated flavor. When my auntie Connie moved from Sicily to Northern California, she would pick perfectly good ripe olives that nobody wanted o# city trees, take them home, put them in a cotton pillowcase full of salt, and hang it from a tree. Every day, she shook the pillowcase, and the olives’ bitter juices would seep through, staining the cotton. When the juices no longer flowed, the olives were done. After several rinses and a quick blanch in boiling water, they were dried and put sott’olio, or under oil.

To me, they were like raisins; and that’s what gave me the idea of using them in a cookie. My first batch was unspectacular, but the idea was clearly worth pursuing. I added figs, and then toasted fennel seeds—all these ingredients grow in Sicily and play well together in other contexts, so why not here? 

Sicily, My Sweet: Love Notes to an Island, with Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Puddings, and Preserves Victoria Granof

As I’m writing this, I wonder what the reaction in Sicily will be to olives in a cookie. (I think I know.) Nevertheless, here I go, because it makes complete sense to me; and it will to you too, once you taste these sweet-savory shortbreads. I keep rolls of the unbaked dough in my freezer, to slice and bake whenever I need them. 

The final version of the cookies has a very special mix of sweet, salty, buttery, crunchy, chewy, and earthy. Taste for yourself.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

• 1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (115 g) sugar

• 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour, or 1½ cups (180 g) 00 flour

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (130 g) almond flour

• ⅓ cup (100 g, or about 10) pitted and chopped oil-cured olives

• 2 fat, dried Calimyrna or Smyrna figs, or 3 dried black Mission figs, tops trimmed, and chopped

DIRECTIONS

First, toast the fennel seeds. Place the seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast, stirring, until they become darkened and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the seeds onto a small plate and let them cool completely. Crush the seeds a bit with a heavy rolling pin or in a mortar and pestle—or, if you prefer, keep them whole. 

In a large bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until well combined. Stir in the all-purpose flour and the almond flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Then stir in the fennel seeds, olives, and figs. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times. Divide into to fourths and shape each fourth into an 8-inch (20 cm) log. Wrap the logs in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 12 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Unwrap the dough and slice crosswise into 3⁄4-inch (2 cm) rounds, placing them two finger-widths apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. The centers will be soft, but the frollini will crisp up as they cool. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets, then store airtight for up to a month.

Excerpted with permission from Sicily, My Sweet: Love Notes to an Island, with Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Puddings, and Preserves by: Victoria Granof published by ‎Hardie Grant North America, October 2024, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.

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