Sugar plums are small, sweet, oval-shaped candies made from dried fruits, ground almonds, and aromatic spices. They are often associated with the holiday season and can be rolled in powdered sugar, shredded coconut, or fondant. The term “sugar plum” dates back to the 17th century and is mentioned in the famous poem A Visit From St. Nicholas. Ready-to-eat sugar plums are usually a purple, plum-flavored, jelly-like candy.
A sugar plum is a small, intensely flavored, sweetened, oval-shaped piece of candy. A combination of dried fruits, such as apricots, prunes, and dates, are finely chopped and then blended with ground almonds and the candy maker’s choice of aromatic spice seeds. Cardamom, cumin, anise and fennel seeds are the most commonly used spice seeds. Sugar plum is often associated with the holiday season and is usually only eaten at that time of year.
To prepare sugar plum jam, any dried fruit or combination of dried fruits should be finely chopped. Ground almonds, orange zest and aromatic spices are then added and the mixture blends well with the honey. This will create a sweet flesh that can be shaped into a ball or oval. Next, the candies are rolled in powdered sugar, finely shredded coconut, or fondant, which is a mixture of sugar and water. The resulting candy is an extremely sweet treat.
The term “sugar plum” is mentioned for the first time in recipes as early as the 17th century. At the time, recipes described how to preserve fruit using sugar, a relatively new idea. Over the years, the recipe has been changed to include nuts and seeds, becoming more like the treats traditionally called sugar plums. These early candies were the same size as a plum and sometimes had a wire stem inserted.
Ready-to-eat sugar plums are hard to find. Most are simply a purple, plum-flavored, jelly-like candy with a sugary coating. This is usually made in the shape of a plum or flat oval disc. These treats are completely different from the candy most people have in mind when they picture this confection.
The famous poem A Visit From St. Nicholas was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823. In his poem, Moore writes that “the children were curled up in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads”. That line, at least in part, is responsible for most of Sugar Plum’s English-speaking worldwide association with Christmas. In Tchaikovsky’s 1882 ballet The Nutcracker Suite, the movement titled “The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy” further reinforced this candy’s association with the holiday season.
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