In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.Add lemon zest or orange zest to the filling for a citrusy flavor.

Drizzle the tops of the cookies with a simple icing of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Sprinkle turbinado sugar or sliced almonds on top before baking for a fun crunchy texture.

If you run out of eggs right as you were starting this recipe, don’t worry, you can use buttermilk or even just milk to brush the tops of the cookies.

Brush the tops with buttermilk instead of eggwash.

The recipe for this dough is actually very easy to make, but if you want to use one of these options, it will still taste delicious just result in different texture.

Use crescent dough, phyllo dough, or puff pastry instead of making the dough yourself.

Here are some options you can use to change this Italian fig cookies recipe to fit your preferences, time constraints, or what you have on hand. I only tested the recipe with dried figs so I can’t answer with 100% certainty whether fresh figs would work the same. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before eating.

If they look pale golden, bake for a few minutes longer. All oven temperatures vary, so be sure to start checking the cookies for doneness around 25 minutes. For best results, use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour. It’ll be a new recipe that your family will request again and again. Fig cookies are easy to make with these tips and tricks.

Fig cookie run