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Stuffed Prunes
Wash, dry and stone prunes; cut almost in half and fill with a half marshmallow or blanched almond or chopped nuts and raisins and roll in sugar. Dates and figs are done in the same way.
A no-cook confection that depends entirely on the fruit being pliable enough to fold around a filling without splitting. Everything else is assembly.
- Plump the fruit firstModern dried prunes sold as "pitted" are often drier and firmer than the soft, moist fruit assumed here. If they crack when opened, steam them briefly or cover with hot water for five minutes, then dry thoroughly on a towel — surface moisture will dissolve the sugar coating into syrup.
- "Stone"Simply means pit. Slit along one side with a paring knife and lever the stone out rather than cutting through, so the fruit stays as a pocket.
- Marshmallows have changed sizeMarshmallows of this period were sold as cut squares, generally larger than today's mini marshmallows. One standard modern marshmallow, halved, is close enough; a single mini marshmallow fits a prune neatly.
- Blanching almondsPour boiling water over shelled almonds, let stand a minute, drain, and slip the skins off between finger and thumb. Dry them well before use or they will not stay put.
- Which sugar to roll inGranulated gives the traditional crunchy, sugarplum-like shell. Confectioners' sugar looks tidier but absorbs fruit moisture and can go tacky.
- Yield and keepingA 1 lb box of prunes will make somewhere in the range of 35 to 50 pieces, depending on the size of the fruit. Store in a single layer between waxed paper in a tin; eat within a few days, before the sugar begins to weep.
- Dates and figsMedjool dates need no plumping and are the easiest of the three. Dried figs are tougher — steam them, and trim the hard stem before stuffing.
Stuffed dried fruits belong to the older European tradition of the sweetmeat or bonbon, in which a nut or paste was enclosed in fruit and dredged in sugar; the "sugarplum" of earlier English usage is sometimes applied to such confections, though it more often meant a sugared comfit. They appear in American candy chapters of the 1900s to 1920s, a period when California prunes and packaged marshmallows were both widely available and no candy thermometer or marble slab was required. The New Royal Cook Book was issued by the Royal Baking Powder Company as promotional literature.