NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

February 16, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TWO JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY DEMONSTRATIONS FOCUS ON CUCCIDATI COOKIES

JEFFERSON, LA – Nancy Wilson, author of Mémère’s Country Creole Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from Louisiana’s German Coast, will conduct two sessions for those who want to make cuccidata cookies.

The first demonstration occurs at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, at the Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.

The second food demonstration occurs at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

Both demonstrations are free of charge and open to the public.

Cucciddati, also known variously as buccellati, Italian fig cookies or Sicilian fig cookies, are fig-stuffed cookies traditionally served at Christmas time, except locally, where they are more often prepared for St. Joseph’s Day. The outer cookie is pastry dough, covered with icing and typically topped with rainbow sprinkles. The filling generally consists of some combination of walnuts, dates, figs, honey, spices and orange or apricot jam.

The modern recipe of the cookie originated during the Muslim Rule of Sicily. However an older version of the cookie recipe was recorded as far back as the Roman occupation of Sicily.

For more information regarding this event, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.

The Jefferson Parish Library system consists of 16 locations that stretch from the Lakeshore Branch on the edge of Lake Pontchartrain to the Grand Isle Branch just steps away from the Gulf of Mexico. The library system consists of two large regional libraries and seven branches on each side of the Mississippi River. The East Bank Regional Library (4747 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie) serves as library headquarters. The Jefferson Parish Library is the second largest system in the state of Louisiana. More than 200 employees work for the Jefferson Parish Library including librarians, administration and support staff. For more information, contact the library at (504) 838-1100 or www.jefferson.lib.la.us

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov).

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO