Sugar Plums
“The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads…” We all recognize this from the beginning of one of America’s most beloved poems, Clement Clark Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” a.k.a. “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
What, exactly, is a sugar plum? Sugar Plums are sweet confections made with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and warm spices then rolled in sparkling sugar, Enjoy!
Equipment
- USA Bakeware Half Sheet Pan [affiliate]
- KitchenAid Food Processor [affiliate]
Ingredients
- 2 c. walnuts halves toasted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 c. prunes pitted and chopped
- 1/2 c. dates pitted and chopped
- 1 c. dried apricot chopped
- 1/4 c. dried cranberries
- Zest of one orange
- 1/4 c. honey
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/2 c. sparkling sugar for rolling in (I use turbinado cane sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts out on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 8 minutes; remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, rough chop them and place in a food processor.
- Add chopped prunes, dates, apricots, dried cranberries, orange zest, and spices to the food processor. Pulse several times until the ingredients are chopped into small pieces. Drizzle in honey. Stop pulsing when the mixture holds together. You want to have some texture from the fruit and nuts.
- Roll the mixture into 1-tablespoon-size balls. Roll the balls in sparkling sugar. Place the candies in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
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