Sugar Plums

Sugar Plums are delicious little treasures that bring a feeling of an old-fashioned Christmas into the home.  We know of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker and “Visions of Sugar Plums” that danced in the heads of the children from “T’was the Night Before Christmas” poem, but are they a real thing?  Yes! Well, sort of.  Unfourtently, there isn’t a magical orchard somewhere with trees that grow beautiful juicy plums glistening with sugar, but we can make something that is just as yummy. 

What Are Sugar Plums?

Sugar Plums are a mix of nuts, dried fruit, and spices.  I have created this recipe based on my own family’s likes, but feel free to swap out any of the ingredients to fit your desired taste. 

I started with almonds because I love how they taste after some toasting in the oven.  My sweetener is honey, which, mixed with the almonds, is delightful, and some orange zest brightens up the notes in this recipe.  To bring out the Christmas flavor in this treat, some cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, and all-spice is added.

I wanted the sugar plums to be plum in color, so the fruits I picked are purple and red.  Plums or dried prunes, in this case, are the base of my fruit selection.  I added dried cranberries and dried cherries to round out the mix and, tying the whole recipe together, a splash vanilla extract.  A couple of sessions in the food processor, and these babies are ready to be rolled.

Use a small ice cream scooper to gather about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a compact ball about 1 ½ inch, then toss in granulated sugar.  This recipe could not be any more straightforward, yet the results are so tasty.  You can arrange them in a candy dish or pop them into individual mini cupcake wrappers.  The Sugar Plums make an excellent addition to your dessert table during the Holidays.  They are a fun surprise from the decadent treats that are normally served during this time.  Eat these at room temperature and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.