A lovely Victorian recipe, Sugarplums are a real thing. I never knew until recently what sugarplums actually are and what they contain. I never understood the Christmas song that says they had visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. I always sang that, but had no clue. No, it is not a an exotic singular fruit that grows on trees somewhere. No, it is not those little gum drops candies you can buy at the store. It is like a fruit and nut truffle, basically, that tastes similar to fruit cake. And even though I do not like fruit cake, these sugarplums I do like. When you search the internet for sugarplums there are several recipes that come up with slight variations. I combined different aspects of a few recipes I found and tweaked it a bit for my and my husband’s taste buds. I hope you give them a try next Christmas and treat your family and friends to a taste of history. They would look great in a treat box or charcuterie tray. Or on a dessert table for Christmas/holiday gatherings. I think I may include these in my Christmas treat boxes next time. 😉

Ingredients

Makes approximately 30 balls.

  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup pistachios or almonds, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries, cranberries or prunes, finely chopped (I used cherries.)
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, unsulphered, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried figs, stems removed & finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dates, pits removed & finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1-3 tbsp brandy (optional)
  • 1-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or add 1/4 cup crystalized ginger)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • zest of orange (optional)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Instructions

  • Put all ingredients into a food processor. Mix until very well combined.
  • Pour into a bowl and roll into tablespoon sized balls.
  • Roll into sugar.
  • Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Serve!
  • Enjoy!