Not like the things you remember, but this is the genuine article, a recipe which came out of the Ark I think! (Well, from about the time of Queen Elizabeth 1, anyway, when sugar was for the really wealthy. Sugar Plums were particularly popular in 19th Century England. You might recall that Tchaikovsky wrote a ballet about them!) Other stone fruits can be done in the same way.

Sugar Plums
Choose small plums. Prick each several times with a fork, then leave in the sun until they begin to wrinkle (1-2 days). Weigh them and place them in a saucepan with an equal volume of sugar. Add a few drops of water and simmer very slowly until the syrup thickens and most of it has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Drain the plums and place them in a slow oven for 1-2 hours to dry. Roll in castor sugar and store in an airtight container. Makes a lovely Christmas treat or gift.

Those Sugar Plums sound wonderful, adrander! Sounds like something I would like to try, too....so I "Googled" and came up with this website. The recipe reads something like the one you describe.

Didn't realize that there was actually something like that outside of childrens' story books!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sugar Plums

THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU. I BELEIVE THE ONE THAT WAS GOOGLED WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR OR CLOSE ANYWAY. THE OTHER WOULD JUST BE SWEETENED PRUNES WOULDN'T IT?