Sugar Plums
(from Lucianolinda’s recipe box)
though neither sugar nor plums, these are what children used to have visions of.
Source: old English cook book ( up dated to modern appliances)
Serves 36 peopleCategories: Candy
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled walnuts
- 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1/2 cup chopped un-sulphured apricots
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
- powdered unrefined cane sugar or unsweetened desiccated coconut (optional)
Directions
- Toss walnuts into a mixing bowl with 1/2 tsp. sea salt and add warm water to cover by 2 inches. Allow nuts to soak, covered, in salty water overnight between 8-12 hours. Drain nuts in a colander and rinse well. Put dry with kitchen towel.
- Place soaked nuts into food processor with the zest of one orange, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, chopped pitted dates, apricots and pitted prunes. Pulse mixture 3-4 apricots and pitted prunes. Pulse mixture 3-4 times to combine, then process the dried fruit, walnuts and spices until a paste forms- 4-5 times.
- Transfer paste to a mixing bowl and form sugar plums by rolling about 2 Tbsp. of paste in your palms until a ball forms. Dredge sugar plums in powdered sugar or unsweetened desiccated coconut.
- OR you can do it the old fashioned way by chopping everything with a large knife over and over until a paste forms.
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Variation: Substitute any nut or seed for walnuts, vary spices to your taste.