Description
Festive Sugar Plums are a delightful no-bake treat made from a blend of dried fruits, spiced nuts, and citrus zest, rolled into sweet balls and coated with sugar. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these plums develop rich flavors after resting overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
Scale
Dried Fruit Mixture
- 600 g dried fruit (figs, dates, raisins)
- 25 g crystallized ginger
- Zest of 1 large orange
- Juice of 1 large orange
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
Spiced Nuts
- 200 g nuts (almonds, pistachios, pine nuts)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp powdered cardamom
- ¼ tsp powdered ginger
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
- ⅛ tsp powdered cloves
Coating
- Granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prepare Dried Fruit: In a large bowl, combine the dried fruit, crystallized ginger, orange zest, orange juice, and brandy if using. Mix well and let the mixture absorb the liquid while you prepare the nuts.
- Toast Spiced Nuts: Coat the nuts evenly in cinnamon, cardamom, powdered ginger, caraway seeds, and cloves. Toast the nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Cool Nuts: Remove the toasted nuts from the pan and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes to avoid overheating the processor later.
- Blend Ingredients: Add the spiced nuts and the soaked dried fruit mixture (excluding the sugar) into a large food processor. Blend until the mixture forms a thick, moldable paste that holds together well.
- Shape Sugar Plums: Roll the mixture between your hands to form balls roughly the size of plums. Then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat evenly.
- Chill and Set: Place the sugar plums in the fridge overnight to set and develop flavor. After chilling, roll them again in sugar for an extra coating.
- Store and Mature: Transfer the sugar plums to an airtight container and store for a couple of days to let the flavors mature further. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Use varied dried fruits like figs, dates, and raisins for a complex flavor and texture.
- Crystallized ginger adds a pleasant spicy kick; you can adjust the amount to taste.
- The alcohol (brandy or rum) is optional and can be omitted for a non-alcoholic version.
- Toast nuts carefully and watch for browning to avoid bitterness.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a strong blender or hand-chopping finely can work but will require more effort.
- Resting the sugar plums in the fridge overnight improves texture and flavor integration.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plum (approx. 30 g)
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 2 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
