What is a sugar plum?
A sugar plum is a bite-sized piece of strongly-flavored, sugary, oval-shaped candy. A combination of dried fruits, such as apricots, plums and dates, are finely chopped and then mixed with chopped almonds and the candy maker’s choice of aromatic spice seeds. Cardamon, caraway, anise and fennel seeds are the most commonly used spice seeds. Authentic, store-bought sugar plums are difficult to find, and most people who enjoy the candy make it from scratch. The sugar plum is most often associated with the Christmas holiday season and usually is eaten only at that time of year. To make sugar plum confectionery, any dried fruit or combination of dried fruits should be finely chopped. Chopped almonds, orange zest and aromatic spices are then added, and the mixture is blended well with honey. This will create a sweet meat that can be shaped into a small ball or oval. Following this, the candy is rolled in powdered sugar, finely shredded coconut or fondant, which is a mixture of sugar and water
