Thursday, December 13, 2018

80(ish)--- Sugar Plums

Sugar plums sure get a lot of attention around the holidays.  But what is a sugar plum?



These sweet treats are old-world confections make with a combination of pureed dried fruits (plums and others) and nuts, rolled into a ball and coated with sugar.  I found many different recipes on the NPR website and then took the liberty of making my own version with things that I had sitting in my cupboards. 

Christmas bonus: No cooking is required! I'm sure that Santa would enjoy a healthier treat when he visits your house this year!

Sugar Plums
Makes ~14

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Dash ground allspice
Dash ground cloves
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped pitted prunes
2 Tbsp dried unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 Tbsp finely crushed pistachios

Place walnuts and apple juice into a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, until slightly softened.  Drain apple juice and place walnuts into a food processor.  Add spices, zest, lemon juice, dried fruits, honey and coconut.  Mix until a puree is formed.

Combine powdered sugar and crushed pistachios in a bowl and mix until evenly distributed.

Remove ~1 Tbsp fruit mixture and roll into a small ball.  Place on waxed paper.  Repeat with remaining mixture.  With clean hands, roll each ball in sugar mixture, then roll in hands to evenly coat.  Place onto a plate.  Repeat with all balls.

Refrigerate sugar plums for ~1 hour prior to serving.  Store in refrigerator.


Nutrition Info per 1 ball: 78 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber