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• Ingredients
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Victorians would often sugar coat fruits to hang on the Christmas tree, much like our modern day Christmas tree chocolates. Sugar coated plums were a popular treat, they even get a mention in Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker, with the the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'.

• Topic: Food
• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 20 mins

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Sugar Plums:

Sugar (approx 1kg/2lb 2oz)
1 jar whole plums (preserved in syrup)

In Victorian times, the sugar plums would have been left to dry out on a hot range for 1-2 days. In modern kitchens, the sugar plums will need to be heated in a very low oven for several hours.

Step 1: Roll plums in sugar

Mix ingredients together

Pour the sugar into a bowl. Shake off any excess syrup from the plums. Roll each plum in the sugar until completely coated.

Place each sugar-coated plum onto a baking tray and set aside for 30 minutes, then re-roll the plums in the sugar.

Step 2: Put coated plums in the oven

Heat gently in the oven

Transfer the sugar-coated plums to the oven, set to its lowest setting. Heat gently for several hours, until the juice has seeped out of the plums

Coat the plums in sugar again, then place the coated plums onto a clean baking tray and repeat the drying process again.

Step 3: Repeat the coating process

Re-coat plums in sugar

Repeat the re-coating and drying process a further 3-4 times, over a period of several days, until the plums have completely dried out and the sugar coating is crisp.

As the plums dry, the juices will seep out, so they will need to be re-coated in sugar and transferred to a clean baking tray every 1-2 hours.)

Step 4: Place in a keepsake box

Use a keepsake box

Thread with cotton to hang on the tree or place in a keepsake box.