Sugarplums

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SugarplumsSugarplums have been around since at least the 16thcentury in England.Here are some definitions of a sugarplum: sugarcoatedcoriander; asmall, round piece of sugary candy; plums preserved insugar; a smallconfection, often consisting of fruit such as driedplums, cherries, orapricots.~*~Many festive recipes, made for generations atChristmastime,have been lost in recent years - casualties of ourmodern searchfor speed and convenience. Some would taste strange toourmodern palate, while others have a wonderful flavorthat they arewell l worth the extra effort. These includeSugarplums and theother dry-candied fruits. Marzipan and Snapdragon areso easyand so great for family fun, you might wonder why youhave notbeen making them for years.Sugarplums were a type of dry-candied whole fruit,considered avery great treat atChristmastime, in the days before canning and freezingmade theeating of seasonal summer fruits a possibility in thewintermonths. They have a taste similar to expensive Frenchcandiedfruits and can be eaten as an elegant and unusualafter dinnertreat, in place of those ubiquitous after dinnermints. Manydifferent fruits can be dry-candied, and although theyare a littlefiddly to make, the intense but delicate flavors farexceedordinary non-candied dried fruits. If you have a homedrier, youcan use it for the drying process, although it is notnecessary fora good result. To store your Sugarplums, never putthem in airtightcontainers. They will go moldy. Good candied fruitshave a softdelectablechewy texture, because they still retain a smallamount of moisture. Forbest results, pack them in a cardboard box, layeredwith waxed paper, orin a pretty basket for gift-giving. They will continueto dry veryslowly, and will keep as long as conventional driedfruits (if you canresist eating them for that long!).SugarplumsThin syrup1 pound plums1/2 pound granulated sugar1 pint waterThick syrup2 pound granulated sugar2 tablespoons waterMake a thin syrup of half a pound of sugar and a pintof water.Slit a pound of plums down the seam and put them intothe syrup.Poach gently until only just tender, taking care thatthey remaincovered with the syrup, or they will lose their color.Cool, coverand refrigerate overnight.The following day make a thick syrup of two pounds ofsugar andtwo tablespoons of water. Boil until a little droppedin a bowl ofcold water makes a thick but soft ball.Remove from heat and allow to become cold. Thencarefullydrain the plums as completely as possible from thefirst syrupand place them gently in the second thick syrup.Reheat and scald only until the plums look clear,taking care thatthey are completely covered in the syrup. Allow tocool again.Then empty them into a shallow ceramic or glass bowl,covertightly and allow them to develop flavor in therefrigerator for aweek.Take them out and spread them apart on dishes orplates. Coverloosely with baking paper, put them in a warm, dryplace and turnthem every day until dry. If you put them in a verylow warmingoven, turning them every half hour, at first, thenevery hour, etc.,they can be dried much more quickly. At this stage ahome fruitdryer can also be used if desired.Do not discard the thin syrup. It makes a delicioussauce on icecream, either by itself or accompanied by finelychoppedSugarplums. You can freeze it until your Sugarplumsare ready.Alternatively it can be used as the liquid in a cakerecipe. Youwould have to reduce the sugar in the cake recipeaccordingly.Sugar ApricotsPeel and stone the apricots, leaving them as whole aspossible.Put them in a large pan or preserving pan, and toevery pound ofapricots, add a half a pound of dry sugar. Stirgently, but well. Letthem stand for twenty four hours, turning themoccasionally.Then bring to the boil and cook quite rapidly, justuntil theapricots are transparent.Remove from heat and allow to become quite cold.Carefullytake the apricots out of the cold syrup and place themseparatelyon plates. Dry either in the oven, as described forSugarplums,or in a home dryer.~*~To Preserve Orenges after the Portugall Fashion"Take Orenges and core them on the side and laye theminwater. Then boile them in fair water till they beetender, shiftethem in the boyling water to take away theirbitternesse.Then take sugar and boile it to the height of sirop,as much aswill cover them. And so put your Orenges into it, andthat willmake them take sugar. If you have 24 Orenges, beate 8of themtill they come to paste, with a pounde of fine sugar,then fill everyone of the other Orenges with the same.And so boile them againe in your sirop: and there willbeemarmelade of Orenges within your Orenges, and it willcut like anharde egge."Recipe taken from: Delights for Ladies, to Adornetheir Persons,Tables, Closets, and Distillatories, With Bewties,Banquets,Perfumes and Waters. By Sir Hugh Plat (1600)~*~Some other fruits can be candied. Whole tiny, tinyseedlessmandarin oranges can be done, because their skins aresweet.However, the skins must be pierced with a skewer toallow thesugar syrup to penetrate. Cherries work well butapples cannotbe can died in the usual way, because they turn into apulp(however, see the shortcut way, below).Imitation Sugarplums and FruitsIf you want the elegance, but really do not have thetime tocandy fruit in the traditional manner, you can cheat.It doesn'ttaste the same, but still an interesting improvementon plain olddried fruits.Make a heavy syrup in the proportion of two pounds ofsugar tohalf a pint of water. (If you only want to do a verysmall amountof fruit, reduce the amounts in proportion.) Heatuntil the sugar isdissolved, then boil rapidly until a little syrupdropped into a bowlof iced water forms a soft ball. (Remove the pan fromthe heatwhen you test it. Things can change very fast at thisstage!)Dip an assortment of either home-dried, or storebought driedfruits into the syrup, and then spread them onwax-papercovered sheets to dry. Dry either in a very cool oven,turningfrequently, or in a warm, dry place.http://www.recipegoldmine.com/holidayChristmas/christmas263.htmlSugarplums Recipe1/2 C. dried apricots1/4 C. dried figs or dates1/2 C. chopped pecans1/4 C. golden raisins1/4 C. flaked coconut3 T. orange liqueur or orange juice1/4 t. almond extract1/4 C. granulated sugarIn a food processor, finely chop apricots, figs ordates, pecans,raisins and coconut. Add liqueur or orange juice andalmond flavoring.Stir until well blended. Roll into 36 balls, about 1inch in diameter,using the palms of your hands. Roll each ball in thegranulated sugar.Layer in an airtight container, placing wax paperbetween each layer toprevent sticking. Store in the refrigerator untilready to serve.Yields 36 Sugarplumshttp://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/christmascandy/sugarplums.htm