Sugarplums

Source: Winston-Salem Journal - December 16, 1998

6 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more sugar for coating
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup apple juice*
2 1/2 cups finely ground vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Candied cherry halves

* For ''grown-up'' sugarplums, substitute brandy for the apple juice.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in the 1/2 cup sugar, the corn syrup and the apple juice. Off the heat, stir in the wafer crumbs and pecans to make a paste-like mixture. Let mixture cool enough to handle.

Roll small bits of mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the additional sugar. Press a candied cherry half into top center of each ball. Store in an airtight container. These cookies improve with age.

Makes about 48.