‘Twas the Night Before Sugar Plums...

As a child, I only knew of sugar plums through The Nutcracker and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Several years ago when I had a subscription to Gourmet, I jotted down a recipe for sugar plums, mostly because I had never tasted one before. These sugar plums are confections, not the fruits that you can read about on Wikipedia. They are quite easy to make and tend to be a huge hit with people who either don’t care for chocolate or just enjoy spices and dried fruits in a delectable bite. It’s a terrific aroma that floats through your house when you make a batch: the smells of orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, toasted almonds, honey.

I usually dust the sugar plums with confectioners’ sugar before serving. They stay fresh for sometime, thus making them perfect for the holidays. I sometimes tie them up in small little packages and give them as gifts with a copy the famed Sugar Plum story!

‘Twas the Night Before Sugar Plums

Ingredients:
12-ounce package pitted prunes
8-ounce package chopped dates
6-ounce package dried apricots
½ cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
⅔ cup sugar

In the bowl of a food processor, process the prunes, dates and apricots until finely chopped, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Transfer to a large bowl and add pecans, graham cracker crumbs and the orange and lemon zest. Mix completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Using your palms, shape into ¾ -inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

You may then want to put the balls in small paper cups. Store in airtight container, refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 5 dozen


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George's notes:

• Wrap these delectable bites in small festive boxes and give as gifts.
• These Sugar Plums freeze well, so you can make them early and bring out for Christmas Eve.