Start a Sugar Plum Christmas Tradition
Are you often searching for ways to teach your children old customs and traditional values? Do you enjoy finding new and unusual ways to celebrate the holidays together? Here is a wonderful idea to share with your little treasures. Remember when you were a child hearing “T’was the Night Before Christmas” for the first time? You had no clue what a Sugar Plum was but knew that it had to be simply delectable if every child in the house were dreaming of them.
Sugar plums have a long history, dating back to the 16th century. At that time, sugar was used to create treats which contained seeds, nuts, and fruits. Nowadays, sugar plums also refer to delicious recipes which use honey, nuts and dried fruits rolled in sugar and then refrigerated. The final product is a delicious treat that can be enjoyed any time but will definitely make a stunning addition to your Christmas table. In fact, they make a nice centerpiece any time.
Here is a recipe for Sugar Plums as they were made in older times for you and your children to make together. When your children are grown, they will always remember making Sugar Plums with you.
•Gather some fresh fruit with firm flesh and a generous amount of white, granulated sugar. I recommend plums but apricots, peaches, cherries, figs or other citrus will also work well.
•Wash the fruits, halve them, and remove the pits. Do not skin the fruits or they might fall apart during the preparation process.
•Take a large pan and create a half inch layer of sugar. Be sure to choose a pan that all of the fruits will go into.
•Layer the fruits into the pan. After you add an even layer of fruits, cover it completely with sugar and repeat this process until you have placed all of the fruit in the pan.
•Heat the pan so that you slowly dissolve the sugar and bring it to a simmer. After this, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. For the next three days, let the fruits steep in this sugary syrup. You should leave the fruits covered during this period. In order that the fruit remains submerged in the syrup, you will have to add a small dish or a wire basket to the surface of the syrup.
•After the three days have passed, drain the syrup and set it aside. Reheat the pan to a simmer and then reintroduce the fruits to the syrup and poach for one minute. Remove the pan from heat and cool. Steep for another three days, covered. After these three days, you will again repeat this last step.
•Now it is the time for the last treatment, in which you will also add a cup of sugar to the syrup mixture and you will cook the fruits for five minutes. You will remove the fruits and drain. With a light stream of cool water, you will rinse off any residue of syrup.
•You will then dry the fruit on a wire rack, in a dehydrator or in a warm oven.
•Dredge the dried fruits in granulated sugar for a nice sparkly coating and your Sugar Plums are ready to become a festive centerpiece or a delectable treat.
These wonderful little treats would also make a wonderful gift for someone elderly who might remember making these in older days. Consider gifting these wonderful treats with a copy of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ for an amazing gift any little one will remember forever.
Here at Sugar Plum Fairy Boca, we want to extend our wishes for a safe and wonderful Holiday season. May you make wonderful Holiday memories in 2013 that will last a lifetime, as you are surrounded by all those you hold dear to your heart.
We Wish You a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year!
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