• Place almonds, prunes, apricots, and figs into bowl of food processor and pulse 20 to 25 times or until fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces, but before mixture combines into a ball
• Combine powdered sugar, and one tablespoon each of anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds and powdered cardamom with salt; blend in blender, Thermomix, food processor, nut grinder or coffee grinder to as fine a powder as possible: this provides a lovely fragrant Eastern essence to dried fruit
• Add powdered mixture to fruit and nut mixture and combine well with clean hands
• Place remaining seeds into one small bowl and crystal sugar into another small bowl
• Roll fruit-nut mixture into Sugar Plum balls, inserting a seed or two into each, then roll in crystal sugar and set on  parchment covered cookie sheet to dry a bit
• Store in tightly sealed container and enjoy visions of Sugar Plums that will definitely come to you as you make these: the possibilities are endless!

Instructions for the Thermomix:

• Weigh powdered sugar into TM mixing bowl and set for 1 minute on speed 5-6 and add one tablespoon each of anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, and powdered cardamom with salt through hole in lid until blended into fine powder:  this provides a lovely fragrant Eastern essence to dried fruit
• Weigh almonds, prunes, apricots, and figs into TM mixing bowl without washing it; pulse 3 times on Turbo for 1 second each until fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces, but before mixture forms a ball
• Pour mixture into large bowl; sprinkle powdered spice mixture over fruit-nut mixture and combine well with clean hands
• Place remaining seeds into one small bowl and crystal sugar into another small bowl
• Roll fruit-nut mixture into Sugar Plum balls, inserting a seed or two into each, then roll in crystal sugar and set on parchment covered cookie sheet to dry a bit
• Store in tightly sealed container and enjoy visions of Sugar Plums that will definitely come to you as you make these: the possibilities are endless!