Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

There is a line in the Clement Clarke Moore poem "The Night Before Christmas," with visions of Sugar Plums dancing in their heads. Through the years I have wondered what sugar plums were. It turns out that they are lovely bits of fruits and nuts covered in granulated sugar.

My special thanks to Lata Budhrani (now Lata Tokhi) founder and editor of Dot Com Women (https://www.dotcomwomen.com) for sharing her no-bake sugar plum recipe with me several years ago.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried figs or dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup flaked coconut
3 tablespoons orange liqueur or orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

In a food processor or by hand, finely chop apricots, pecans, figs or dates, raisins and coconut. Add liqueur or orange juice and almond flavoring. Stir until well blended. Roll into 36 balls, about 1-inch, by placing a small amount of the mixture between the palms of your hands. Roll each ball in granulated sugar. Here, I used powered sugar instead of granulated. Layer in an airtight container, placing waxed paper or plastic wrap between each layer to prevent sticking. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve on a glass plate lined with a paper doily. Use orange juice instead of orange liqueur if kids will be eating these.

I am not so much a cookie baker, but will when I have to 'bring something' to a coffee and tea affair, it is either these cookies or cut fruit. I have made this recipe and taken bows for this easy to make dessert. It's so easy you can let your kiddies help, they can make the fruit balls, then roll them in sugar.

This recipe is good for me because it has ingredients I love and often have in the house. I like dried fruits, figs and dates are two of my favorites.

Recommended cookbook:

Another favorite thing is almost anything that Martha Stewart has to offer. Take at look at Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share (Martha Stewart Living Magazine)