Sugar Plums

Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below are reprinted with permission from A Taste of Christmas by By Jacquie Schmidt, Eileen Mandryk, and Jo Wuth (1998, Three Sisters Publishing). In this book the three sisters have done a good job of compiling lots of delicious useful Christmas recipes and paired them with handy menus and make-ahead advice to keep stress to a minimum during the hectic holiday season. They've rounded out the book with lots of craft and gift-giving ideas, holiday history and trivia and news of charming Christmas customs you can adopt in your own home. The recipes are simple homey fare that are easy to prepare and use ready to find ingredients. But with a little creativity, simple ingredients can be transformed into fabulous Christmas treats. There's a nice mix of traditional old fashioned goodies mixed wit modern favorites, not to mention recipes for every course of the festive holiday feast. Click here to learn more about this useful holiday reference and for more sample Christmas recipes.

Variations of these delectable sugared fruits have been around for generations - remember the Sugar Plum Fairy fro The Nutcracker ballet and the visions of sugar plums from the classic "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Now you can make your own!

1/2 cup dried apricots 1/2 cup pecans 1/3 cup angel flaked coconut 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup dried apples 2 tablespoons any fruit liqueur confectioner's sugar

Makes About 32 Sugar Plums In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, finely chop the apricots, pecans, coconut, raisins, and dried apples. With the motor running, add the desired liqueur and blend the mixture for 5 seconds. Form the mixture into 3/4 inch balls, pressing each candy firmly into shape. Sift confectioner's sugar into a bowl and roll the sugar plums in the sugar to coat them evenly. Store in an airtight container. They can be kept for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or can be frozen for several months.