sugarplum

A sugarplum is a type of confectionery. Historically, the term "sugarplum" referred to a specific type of candy consisting of a toasted, shelled almond coated in layers of hard sugar syrup. These were often flavored and colored. The process of making them involved repeatedly dipping the almond in hot sugar syrup and allowing it to cool and harden, building up a shell.

The term gained widespread popular recognition through the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet, The Nutcracker. In this context, the sugarplum fairy is often depicted as a magical being associated with sweets and delights. The original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," featured a character called the "Mousseline de la Poupre," or "Plum Pudding." It is believed that Tchaikovsky's librettist, Marius Petipa, may have adapted this concept into the "Fée des dragées," meaning "Fairy of the sugarplums," which was then translated into English as "Sugar-Plum Fairy."

Modern interpretations of sugarplums often differ from the historical confection. Today, the term can refer to a fruit-based candy, typically made with dried plums (prunes) and sometimes other dried fruits, nuts, and spices, rolled in sugar. These are often associated with holiday baking and gifting, particularly in Western cultures. They are not hard candies but rather soft, chewy treats. The exact composition can vary widely, with recipes including ingredients like dates, apricots, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, and cloves.