Recipe by Naomi Sherman
“The children were tucked up asleep in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads”
The term sugar plum came about in the 17th century when they were traditionally hard-shelled sweets. During that time, adding the outer layers which gave sugar plums their hard shell was done by hand and was a slow and labour-intensive process.
This meant that making the treats often took several days, and thus the sugar plum was largely a luxury product, saved for special occasions such as Christmas.
Once this process became mechanised though, they became readily available and no longer such a special item.
It then became traditional to make sugar plums at home from a combination of dried fruits, sometimes with added nuts, which were formed into soft balls and then rolled in sugar or coconut.
This recipe will show you how wonderful making sugar plums yourself is and you will fall asleep thinking of them too.
Makes: 24
Preparation Time:
Hands-on - 15 minutes
Total - 1 hour
Ingredients
105 grams pitted dates
115 grams prunes
70 grams dried cranberries
100 grams dried chopped figs
130 grams dried apricots
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp brandy (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/3 cup caster sugar
Purple food dye
Mint leaves
Method
Place all of the ingredients, except for the caster sugar, food dye and mint, into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until they come together.
You want the mixture to be smooth enough to hold together in balls, but to still have some texture.
Line a tray with baking paper and scoop out approx. tablespoon sized balls.
Roll the balls and place on the tray.
Chill in the fridge for 30 min.
Place the caster sugar in a bowl and add a couple of drops of purple food dye (this is completely optional; you can just use the sugar if you wish) mix well until the sugar is tinted purple.
Roll the balls in the sugar and then use a skewer to make the plum shape (again, optional but it looks so pretty)
Finish by adding mint sprigs for leaves.
Note: I made mine nut-free to allow for allergies.
About the Author
Naomi Sherman
"I'm here because I'm lucky enough to do what I love every day. And I want the same for you."
Naomi Sherman is a food photographer and stylist who creates edible artistry in her studio located in the beautiful Huon Valley.
A firm believer that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to good health, Naomi loves to create recipes that are fresh and bursting with flavour, with an emphasis on gluten and refined sugar free dishes.
Her recipes, along with her award-winning cookbook Edible Heirlooms, can be found on Naomi's website.
Christmas Baking by Minimax
Season to Bake
Whether it's a snack for Santa, to hang on the tree or just for the fun of cooking with the kids, baking is at the heart of our seasonal celebrations. It's where you can take the time to craft something with care and have fun along the way. Minimax has your Christmas baking essentials covered.
