This recipe make about one pound healthy, tasty candy, even for fussy people.
Is gluten-free, wheat-free, non-dairy and delicious. Fruit, nuts, honey, and if you like (who don't?) chocolate. Perfect treat to have on Holiday table, and also to box up for small gift.
Gather together your dried fruit. You need three kinds, one cup each.
Baba strong recommend that date be one of them. Is because date have good sugar content and distinct taste.
Mix with one or two dried fruit that is tart. Don't combine three fruit that is all tart taste, or all three sweet:
▪ Apricot
▪ Black Currant
▪ Blueberry
▪ Dates. Pit, don't spit
▪ Any kind raisin you like
▪ Fig. Especial if you don't give one
▪ Cherry. Sour kind go well with sweet fruit
▪ Prune, especial if you make for old person or constipate neighbour. Don't tell them.
▪ | Any kind raisin you like |
▪ | Fig. Especial if you don't give one |
▪ | Cherry. Sour kind go well with sweet fruit |
▪ | Prune, especial if you make for old person or constipate neighbour. Don't tell them. |
Be judgmental. Don't cram every kind of dried fruit. You just get weird taste.
You can also divide different combinations of fruit for different pans of candy.
Examples: date/prune/raisin, date/raisin/sour cherry, date/raisin/apricot, date/blueberry/prune.
Choose one cup, one kind of nut:
▪ Walnut
▪ Unsalted almond
Take shell off nut. Why I have to tell you? Also is better if almond is blanch. That means peeled. Walnut, you can leave alone. Skin on its little brainy-looking self just add to charm.
To blanch almond:
Toss almond in boiling water. Drain almost immediate into waiting colander. Rinse with cold water, also immediate.
Rub almond with clean towel to take off skin. Be vigorous and relentless with your nuts. Make them squeak.
Baba Warning: do not let nut sit in hot water, or they will be mushinsky mess.
Chop fruit and nut with very sharp knife, if you have that kind of time. Otherwise, use handheld food mill on coarse blade.
Mix chopped fruit and nut with two tablespoon honey. Unpasteurized, if you can find.
Remember how precious is honey to Ukrainian. We been making delicious food with honey since we fight for it with cave bear. Bee must fly 25,000 mile to make one lb. honey. This is Art for Art Sake. You should kiss bee little striped butt.
Use honey with light taste. Use clover, orange, fireweed or blueberry blossom honey. This is one time Baba not recommend buckwheat, which is traditional for most Ukrainian recipe.
Roll into balls, any size you like. Best to measure height of gift box, first. In case you have some candy left over.
Roll these balls in powder or crystal sugar.
Done!
Baba Tip: fancier box, mean you can get away with putting less candy in. I myself do not do this, but apparently it work for some people I don't name.
Alternate ending with chocolate follows below.