Catholic Recipe: Candy Cream Apricots

St. Macarius the Younger before he became a hermit was a sugarplum merchant. Sugarplums, formerly the term for candied fruits, now is a more general term for all candied sweets. He is the patron of pastry cooks and confectioners. Making confections, such as these candy cream apricots, is appropriate to honor this saint. His feast day is January 2, although it is no longer on the General Roman Calendar.

DIRECTIONS

Cream butter or margarine; beat in 2 cups confectioners' sugar, unbeaten egg white, cream, filberts, and lemon peel; gradually add remaining sugar to make a stiff fondant. Separate apricot halves; top half of them with a rounded teaspoonful of fondant; put together, sandwich fashion, with remaining halves.

OR: Combine 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup finely chopped prunes. Use as filling for apricots. Store in layers in a covered container in cool place. Makes about 4 dozen.