Page 90 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

Makes 16 sugar plums

“Then they brought in the most wonderful fruit and candy Marie had ever seen and began
with their snow-white hands to squeeze the fruit, crush the spices, and grate the sugared
almonds.”

Don’t let their humble appearance fool you; these Byzantine-style sugar plums are packed
with a rich, spiced, and lightly sweet flavor. Plus, they are faster and easier to make than the
traditional Victorian variety—ready to eat in just two steps! They use traditional Byzantine
fruits and nuts, but I added a splash of rum to shake things up a little.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup pistachios

½ cup pitted dates

¼ cup prunes
¼ cup dried cherries

¼ cup dried figs, stems removed
1 teaspoon orange zest

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons spiced rum

¼ cup turbinado sugar

Special Tools
Food processor

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Add all ingredients except the rum and sugar to a food processor

on low for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is broken into very small
pieces. Add in the rum and pulse for 15 seconds until well combined.

2 Shape fruit mix into balls approximately 1¼ inches wide. Roll in

sugar until well-coated. Store in an airtight container at room