Christmas Notebook

Lindsey and Tricia, this is for you. 🙂 So glad you were able to come yesterday!

These sugarplums are delicious and easy to make. I double the following recipe for the open house.

Sugarplums

* 3/4 c. raisins
* 3/4 c. chopped dates
* 3/4 c. dried apricots, chopped
* 1 c. walnuts
* 1 c. almonds
* 1/4 c. orange juice

Mix all the ingredients together, except the orange juice.

Using a blender or a food processor, pulse the mixture until you have a coarse meal. I use a blender as I don’t have a food processor. I’m sure this would be easier in a processor where you could chop the whole batch at one time. In the blender, I do about a cup at a time.

The bowl on the left shows the fruits and nuts after grinding them in the blender.

After all the nuts and fruits are ground together, add the orange juice, stirring well. If you let the mixture set for half an hour or so, the dry ingredients will absorb some of the orange juice. Not necessary, but helpful.

Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and roll them in sugar. I usually use sanding sugar for this as it gives the sugarplums a pretty sparkly look, but all I had this year was regular white granulated sugar. Still pretty. And so yummy!

The sugarplums can be placed in candy paper liners, though I never do. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 24-30. I found the recipe in “Family Fun” magazine, December 2002, page 24.

Other dried fruits or nuts could be substituted. I think they would be good with craisins (dried cranberries), dried cherries, and/or figs. And don’t forget dried plums (prunes)! Pecans could be used in place of some of the nuts.

~~Rhonda