Sugar plums ... when you hear that name you think of two things—Christmas and deliciousness. This year, there is no need to buy sugar plums at the store. You can make them yourself with this easy recipe from Leann Pettit, the food columnist for Perkiomen Valley Patch in Pennsylvania.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
- 4 ounces dried plums
- 4 ounces dried apricots
- 4 ounces dried figs
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup coarse sugar
Directions
- Place dried fruit and almonds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces (but before it becomes a big, sticky ball), about 20 times.
- Combine powdered sugar, anise seed, fennel seed, caraway seed, cardamom and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add the fruit and nut mixture and honey and mix until combined.
- Scoop into ½ inch balls and roll.
- If you're serving these immediately, roll in the coarse sugar and serve. If you're not serving immediately, place the balls on cooling racks and leave uncovered until ready to serve.
- The sugarplums can be stored on the cooling rack for a week, after that, store in an air tight container for up to a month.