Complexion candy, a date, fig and pecan confection
The other day I found myself in a cookie coma. After eating nothing but cookies and homemade candy for several hours straight, my belly hurt and I could barely keep my eyes open. It was a sugar, butter and white flour overload.
Now, I’m not one to pass up a sweet treat, especially this time of year. But sometimes it might be wise for me to cut back just a little so I won’t find myself shopping for a whole new wardrobe in the new year.
Enter complexion candy. “What kind of candy?” you may be asking. I said the same thing when I came across this old Texan recipe. Though upon closer inspection I realized that complexion candy is simply an old-fashioned dried fruit and nut confection under a more colorful name.
I love dates. They’re sticky, crunchy and sweet with such a rich caramelized flavor that it’s hard to believe that they’re a fruit. Yep, dates are nature’s candy. And that’s what’s at the heart of complexion candy, along with figs, raisins, orange zest and pecans.
It’s a snap to make this, as you simply throw all the ingredients into a food processor and whirl away until a smooth paste forms. Then you can either roll it into balls and dip it in coconut or chopped pecans, or you can press it into a pan and cut it into squares after chilling.
The original recipe called for sprinkling the complexion candy with powdered sugar, but I didn’t think it added much, so I skipped that step. You, however, may disagree. But one thing that we can agree on is that complexion candy is a guilt-free sweet. It’s also extremely versatile. For instance, you can sub in other dried fruits if you like, add a bit of ginger and cinnamon for a little spice, use walnuts if you prefer, or if you’re feeling really decadent throw in some chocolate chips or chopped bacon.
If you’re a fan of fig bars or Lara Bars, then this is for you. Now, I would never advocate getting rid of the pralines, the brittles, festive cookie tray, and other holiday treats that always makes the season bright, but you might consider giving complexion candy a try. And you know what? You might just be surprised.
Complexion candy, a date, fig and pecan confection
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates
- 2 cups dried figs
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup roasted pecans
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts, such as pecans, walnuts or pistachios
Instructions
- Place the dates, dried figs, raisins, pecans and orange zest in a food processor and blend until a paste forms. Form into 1-tablespoon-sized balls and dip in shredded coconut and/or chopped nuts. Alternatively, you can press the paste into a pan, chill for an hour and then cut into squares.
- Variations: You can replace the pecans with walnuts or almonds. You can also dip the balls into chopped nuts. For more flavor, try adding a pinch of ginger, cinnamon and clove. To make them even more decadent, you can add chocolate chips or chopped bacon.
I just bought a huge thing of dates, intending to make sticky toffee pudding, but now they're all going into complexion candy. I love the name, and anything rolled in coconut is going to be good. I eat a lot of the fruit and nut loaf from Whole Foods, and this just sounds like a more portable version.
Deanna–Enjoy the complexion candy, though if I were you I might save some of your dates for sticky toffee pudding!
I would suggest adding other dried fruits, such as dried cranberries or apricots. And if I were adding ginger, it would be the candied (crystalized) ginger chunks.
Janus–Those are great ideas!
Lisa — I'm giving 3 of your books for gifts this Christmas. Love, love it! One is going to my brother, an ex-Texan who doesn't know how to cook Texas & needs to learn, one to folks who've started spending January in Texas, & the other to Kansas friends who love your kind of food. I'm an ex-Texan (tho not homesick for it) and I love your blog, recipes & stories. Thank you!