Description
Festive Sugar Plums are a delightful holiday treat made from a blend of dried fruits, nuts, warm spices, and a hint of orange and brandy. These no-bake plum-sized balls are rolled in sugar and chilled overnight to develop deep, rich flavors, making them a perfect snack or dessert for festive occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dried Fruit and Flavorings
- 600 g dried fruit – mixture of figs, dates, raisins
- 25 g crystalized ginger
- 1 large orange – zest and juice
- 1 tbsp brandy – or rum, optional
Nuts and Spices
- 200 g nuts – combination of almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom – powdered
- ¼ tsp ginger – powdered
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
- ⅛ tsp cloves – powdered
Coating
- sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit mixture: Mix the dried fruit together in a bowl, along with the orange zest, orange juice, and brandy (if using). Leave to absorb the liquid while you toast the nuts.
- Toast the nuts: Coat the nuts in the spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, caraway seeds, cloves) and toast them in a dry pan for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Let the nuts cool for a couple of minutes.
- Blend the ingredients: Place all the ingredients except for the sugar in a large food processor and blend until you have a thick paste that can be molded between your hands.
- Shape the plums: Roll the mixture into plum-sized balls and roll each ball in sugar to coat.
- Chill the plums: Place the sugar-coated balls in the fridge overnight to set up. Roll in sugar once more the next day for extra coating.
- Mature the flavors: Store the sugar plums in an airtight container for a couple of days to allow the flavors to mature. Ready to serve anytime after this.
Notes
- Use a combination of your favorite dried fruits for a unique flavor blend.
- If brandy or rum is not preferred, simply omit for a non-alcoholic version.
- Chilling overnight is essential for the plums to set and develop flavor.
- Rolling the balls in sugar twice enhances texture and sweetness.
- Store in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sugar plum
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
