Petite Treats

They nestle on a silver tray like exquisite little creations from a fine jeweler. A skeptic might point out they’re nothing but fruits and nuts--and dried fruit at that--but they’re so much more.

Candied citrus dusted with crystal sugar and dipped in chocolate, black dates stuffed with rose water almond paste and rolled in chopped pistachios, moist prunes concealing a bright surprise: chocolate and orange.

Sweetmeats, they’re called. And for those of us who have neither the patience nor the ability for rolling out cookie dough but love having pretty little bites around the house for the holidays, they are the answer.

You can put them together from an assortment of ingredients you’ve made in advance, then slip them into paper cases to be presented as a hostess gift, to be set out at the end of a meal or to be passed around at a holiday buffet.

They also make considerate holiday gifts for those friends who may well be devastated by butter-rich pastries that are the holiday standard.

To build a selection of sweetmeats, you should have two things made ahead of time: candied citrus peel and almond paste. Then have a number of other ingredients on hand that can be used in simple last-minute assembly, such as toasted almonds, moist dried prunes, a variety of dates, some good bittersweet chocolate, creamy walnuts and pretty green pistachios. If you go for silver dragees or candied mimosa, by all means include them as well.

What’s delightful about making sweetmeats is that there’s no single way to do it. You can present your candied orange peel whole and plain or dipped in chocolate, or you can use it, finely sliced, to top a date you’ve filled with orange-scented almond paste.

You might like the way a whole green pistachio looks in rose-pink almond paste better than in a fine dusting of minced nuts. A walnut half dipped in caramel, candied rose petals, lemon blossoms and mint leaves, fine citrus zest simmered in syrup until clear, drops of hardened caramel, chopped candied ginger and melted chocolate are all elements that can be joined in countless ways.

When it comes to finding the basic ingredients, the farmers markets in and around Los Angeles are the best places to find beautiful, fresh fruits and nuts, among them pistachios, walnuts and almonds; a wide selection of dates; aromatic unsprayed citrus fruits of all kinds; and dried pluots, apricots and plums.

Madison is the best-selling author of “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway Books, $40), “The Savory Way” (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $20) and “Greens Cookbook” (Bantam Books, $29.95).

Almond Paste

Active Work Time and Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

If you’re short on time, you can buy whole blanched almonds that are already peeled.

2 cups whole almonds, preferably Mission almonds

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Few drops almond extract

Water

* Cover almonds with boiling water and let stand at least 1 minute. Pull 1 out and see if skin slips off easily. If not, let stand another minute and try again. Slip off skins of all almonds.

* Combine sugar, water and syrup in small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 235 degrees on candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in extract.

* Grind almonds in food processor, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons water if needed to loosen mixture. When texture is fine and smooth, gradually pour in syrup with food processor running and process until paste is well blended. Remove. If you want to flavor or color paste, do so in processor. When done, wrap almond paste well in plastic and refrigerate for at least a week for flavor to ripen. To make paste pliable and easy to work, bring to room temperature by setting in warm spot before using, 30 minutes.

About 1 pound. Each tablespoon: 81 calories; 2 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.21 gram fiber.

Variations:

Rose Almond Paste: Knead or process 1/2 recipe Almond Paste with 1 or 2 drops red food coloring and 2 teaspoons rose water until well blended.

Orange Almond Paste: Knead or process 1/2 recipe Almond Paste with grated zest of 1 orange or tangerine, 1 drop orange food coloring and 2 teaspoons orange flower water or 1 tablespoon orange liqueur until well blended. (Use food color sparingly by adding with a toothpick dipped into food coloring.)

Use the Almond Pastes in . . .

Dates with Orange Almond Paste: Allow about 2 teaspoons almond paste per date. Slit dates lengthwise, carefully open them and remove seed. Roll piece of almond paste in your hand to make lozenge shape about same length as date. Slip paste into date and gently close flesh around paste, without covering completely.

Finish with any or all of the following garnishes: rolling in superfine sugar, setting piece of candied citrus peel on top of almond paste or embedding piece into it, adding lightly toasted almond or walnut to top, then dusting in superfine sugar, or garnishing with fresh or candied orange blossoms.

Black Sphinx or Medjool Dates with Rose Almond Paste: Allow 2 to 3 teaspoons almond paste for these large, luscious dates. Slit dates in two lengthwise and remove seeds. Roll almond paste into lozenge shape and place in date. Gently press sides of dates against paste to secure them, but don’t completely cover paste.

Finish with any or all of the following garnishes: Embed whole, peeled green pistachio in almond paste, roll in superfine sugar, brush additional rose water over paste to emphasize flavor, garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and candied rose petals, garnish with pomegranate seed.

Orange-Almond Candies: These resemble miniature oranges. If you have candied angelica, you can use it, instead of mint, for the “leaves.” If you have homemade candied citrus peels, use them rather than commercially prepared orange peels. Grapefruit or tangerine can be used in place of orange.

Knead 1 cup Orange Almond Paste with 2 to 4 tablespoons candied orange or other citrus peel until evenly blended. Then, working 1 tablespoon at a time, roll paste into balls. Flatten balls just slightly so that they’ll stand. Roll balls in superfine sugar, then dimple all over with toothpick. Add two small mint leaves to top of each “orange,” then set in paper cases.

Rose Candied Grapefruit Peels

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

Organic Ruby grapefruits make big plump citrus candies with a rosy hue. Of course you use white grapefruits, thick-skinned oranges, lemons and, although I’ve never done it, perhaps even Oro Blancos.

2 grapefruits, 4 oranges or 4 large Eureka lemons

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup superfine sugar, for coating

* Score grapefruits into quarters and pull off peels. Put peels in saucepan, cover with cold water and place heavy plate on top to keep peels submerged. Bring water to boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle easily, scrape white pith from peels with spoon, then cut peels into strips with scissors. Make strips as wide or narrow as you like.

* Combine granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups water and syrup in 2-quart saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. When syrup is clear, add peels and reduce heat to low. Simmer until peels have turned translucent and syrup is nearly boiled away, about 1 hour.

* Place superfine sugar on plate, add few pieces of peel at a time and lightly toss to coat with sugar. Transfer to rack to dry 1 hour, then pack in plastic container between layers of superfine sugar and store in refrigerator.

Makes about 60 (1/4x3-inch) strips. Each of 4 strips: 153 calories; 7 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.07 gram fiber.

Variations:

Chocolate-Dipped Citrus Peels: Melt 4 ounces semisweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in double boiler set over, but not touching, boiling water. Dip ends of candied peels in chocolate, coating just 1 side, then set them on waxed paper or parchment, uncoated side face-down, in a cool place, to harden.

Use Candied Fruit Peel in . . .

Prunes Stuffed with Walnuts, Chocolate and Tangerine Zest: If you completely conceal the filling, your guests will be astonished when they bite into these prunes. Orange zest, slivers of raw kumquats or candied kumquats or a bit of candied grapefruit peel can be used in place of the tangerine zest. You don’t have to coat the prunes with the sugar, but it is pretty and it does suggest a confection as opposed to a simple piece of dried fruit. Incidentally, dates are also good with chocolate, and you could apply the same technique to moist Medjool.

Choose soft prunes (hard fruits can be made soft by steaming them over boiling water for a few minutes.) Gently remove pits, if there are any. Stuff prunes with small chunks of bittersweet chocolate, fresh walnuts (cracked and quartered) or fine strands of orange or tangerine zest. Close prunes over filling, then roll in superfine sugar.

Candied Flowers and Leaves

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 1 day drying

Petals, blossoms and leaves, such as mint, can all be candied in a delicate crust of sugar for garnishing pastries and sweetmeats. Always use flowers and leaves that you know haven’t been sprayed. It’s best if they’re freshly gathered, but they should be dry rather than moist. If raindrops or dew have settled on them, wait for the sun to dry them or blot with a soft paper towel. You will need a fine brush, wax paper and a plate for the sugar.

Freshly picked orange blossoms, rose petals, violets, mint leaves or other leaves and flowers

1 egg white

Few drops water

Superfine sugar

* Sort through material you wish to candy, separating petals, plucking leaves and so forth.

* Beat egg white and water until foamy and easy to spread. Pour sugar onto plate or sheet of wax paper. Paint egg white onto each piece, then set flower or leaf on bed of sugar and sprinkle with more sugar until generously coated.

* As you finish, place pieces on rack in warmed oven for several hours until egg white and sugar dry, at which point they will become brittle.

* Set aside in warm, dry spot until there’s no moisture left in petals or leaves, 1 day or more depending on dryness of air. When completely dry, store in an airtight container.

Rustic Almond Truffles

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Look for Mission almonds at the farmers market. They are a bit harder to peel, but they have a more intense almond flavor. You can finish these in various ways: embed a piece of candied citrus peel or dried cherry in the center of each ball, coat in roasted, finely chopped almonds or in cocoa instead of sugar or mixed with the sugar.

1 1/2 cups whole almonds, blanched and peeled

1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or more to taste

1 or 2 drops orange oil or 1 tablespoon rum, optional

Several teaspoons water, as needed

* Grind almonds with sugar and cocoa in food processor until finely ground.

* Transfer to bowl, add almond extract, orange oil or rum, if using, and enough water (add by spoonful) to make cohesive dough. Knead well. Dough will be stiff.

* Scatter sugar over counter and lightly coat dough. Roll into logs about 1 inch across, then slice logs into 1-inch pieces. Roll into balls, then roll balls in sugar. Or simply break off small chunks and roll each into ball.

* Place in small paper cups. Flavor gets better with time, but make sure to store truffles in airtight container to keep from hardening.

30 (1-inch) truffles. Each truffle: 70 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.21 gram fiber.