Fruit Balls

A two-sentence confection with no quantities given, which is normal for a candy of this type: the proportions are to taste and the mixture only has to hold together. Equal parts by volume of raisins, dates and nuts is a reliable starting point.

• The hinge: make the fruit paste sticky enoughChopping must go past coarse mince to a tacky, cohesive paste, or the balls crumble the moment they are dipped. A food processor pulsed in short bursts does it; if the mixture still will not hold, a teaspoon of orange juice or honey will bind it, while too much makes it slump.
• Pit the datesDates were often sold with the stone in, so buy pitted dates or check them, and pull any stray hard bits of stem from the raisins.
• "Cocoa coating"Most likely a melted chocolate coating for dipping rather than dry cocoa powder, since the balls are set on paper "to cool." Use a couverture, tempered, or a compound (confectioner's) coating, which sets hard without tempering.
• Tempering, if you use real chocolateUntempered chocolate sets soft and blooms grey within a day or two. Either temper it properly or accept that the balls should be kept cold and eaten within a few days.
• Size"Size of marble" is roughly 3/4 inch, about a rounded teaspoon of mixture. Roll them all before you melt any chocolate, and chill them 20 minutes so they hold their shape in the warm coating.
• Oiled paperUse parchment or a silicone mat instead. Oiled paper leaves a slick film on the base of the sweet; parchment releases cleanly with nothing added.
• Yield and keepingStore them in a single layer in a tin in a cool place; they keep about two weeks.