Sugarplums

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Like everyone else, I LOVE these. I live in the back-of-beyond and never did find any anise - seeds or otherwise, but the recipe was still great. I also buzzed the spices in a grinder after toasting them, and I used Demerara Sugar for rolling. Personally, we like smaller ones; mine average 1/2 oz. I haven't found anyone who doesn't like them. I added dried blueberries to my second batch. Will try other things later on.

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I loved this recipe, tastes great, fun to make, wonderful conversation piece. The flavor is like dates with licorice added in. Maybe not the most popular thing on the cookie plate, especially with kids, but a real winner in my book.

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Visions of sugar plums have been dancing in my head since last year just after Christmas when I began to research them. What a wonderful, vintage treat! I can see what other posters mean when they say that they aren't what they expected. The flavour of the caraway is delicious in a more subtle kind of way. I was expecting the punchy quality of flavours like cinnamon and ginger but this is a softer taste. Very nice. I did, however, modify the recipe to make it diabetic friendly... so they were in fact sugar-less plums! Instead of honey I used agave, instead of powdered sugar I used date sugar, and on the outside I rolled them in natural xylitol instead of regular sugar. They're terrific!

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I saw this last week on TV and had to try it. It was very easy and...OMG...delicious. The only thing I did different was, I pulsed the seeds in my spice grinder before adding them. I don't think they will last very long. I guess visions of sugarplums aren't a dream sequense anymore.

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The recipe came together easily and looks & tastes great. Due to my fiancee's tree nut allergy, I had to find a substitute for almonds, though. This time, I used regular (not honey graham crackers. It seemed to work very well. Vanilla Wafers were also considered, but I thought they might add too much sweetness.

UPDATE: This year, I tried roasted soy nuts instead of the graham crackers. The results were 100% better. The texture was improved and the sugar adhered to the sugarplums much better. I left out the salt because the nuts were already salted. Awesome recipe!

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I was really skeptical about trying a sugar plum because to be honest it just does not sound appetizing. Then I tried some chocolate covered sugar plums. Yummy! Soon after I deemed a post on Cocoa Heaven (http://cocoa-heaven.com/what-are-sugar-plums/ in order and found your recipe here for sugar plums and had to help spread the word about the yummy goodness that is sugar plums. Thanks for the recipe.

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I thought these were great. Some of my family thought they tasted weird, but I think that's because Americans are not used to cardamom and anise in their holiday treats, they expect cinnamon and cloves. If you're willing to try something a bit different this holiday, then you should try these. I haven't made the other recipes from the episode, but maybe I will some day. My grocery store actually does carry goose, so I wonder if it would work in his duck recipe.

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These are so delicious! Everyone who has had them has loved them and they're surprised at how relatively good for you they are, too, especially compared to other holiday treats. Plus, everyone is excited to actually get to try the legendary sugar plum!

Like purplesque, I've also played around a lot with the fruits and nuts in the mix, though I tend to leave the spices close to the same. My favorite is dates and golden raisins with almonds, but my husband prefers the AB original blend. They'll all good - really you can't go wrong.

One trick I've learned is that if you roll them with your hands, keep your hands slightly damp. Then let the formed balls dry on a rack for at least several hours (I usually do overnight before rolling them all in sugar. I store them in open containers at room temperature after they've been rolled in sugar (usually plates or candy dishes and the consistency is fine for at least several weeks that way.

Thank you, AB!

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Let me count the ways in which this recipe works..

1. Its Christmasy! I made it several times last Christmas and took it work, Christmas dinners, etc. Everyone loved it- most people have heard of sugar plums but no one has actually tried them! A great conversation piece.

2. Its kid-friendly. Get your kids dishing the balls and rolling them in sugar. Use different colored sugars for different occasions.

3. Its mail-friendly. I've mailed this internationally. It does not spoil, and who doesn't like the flavor of nuts with dried fruit?

4. This is the best part- its flexible. Once you're comfortable with the ratios, there are a hundred variations of nuts, dried fruit, and spices that you can use. One of my favorite combinations is more Middle Easter-ish- walnuts, dates, and a hint of rose water and cardamom. Finger licking delicious.

If rolling balls is too much work, you can also simply spread the mixture on a greased baking sheet, let it set, and then cut it into squares.

Thank YOU Alton Brown. You may be heavy on meat, but your vegetarian recipes never disappoint.

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Easy to make for sure -- Not having a disher I used a 1/2 Tablespoon measure to portion out and I got 44 so I'm guessing they're a bit large but still I think they're the same size or smaller to the show so maybe they upsized them for TV like someone else said.

Not nearly as sweet as I expected they'd be - I think they'll appeal to adults a lot more than children. For color I used red and green sugars. (pic - http://is.gd/5A5SY