Ahhh, rum balls… It must be Christmas! When thickly dusted with icing sugar they look like tiny snowballs, and a few of them nestling in a pretty gift box make for one of the easiest, cheapest and most delight-inducing gifts for the holidays. This recipe was given to me by artist/illustrator and steampunk jewelry-maker Lauri Jon Caravella just a few days ago, and normally you wouldn’t find me scurrying off to the kitchen right away to see if I have the right ingredients (I did) because cooking is one thing I have absolutely no curiosity about. But this recipe was easy enough even for the culinarily-challenged, like me, so I thought I’d share the goodness with you. Straight from this scribbler’s kitchen to yours, with best wishes for the most self-indulgently decadent holiday season ever.
Ingredients
* 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
* 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1/4 cup cocoa
* 1/2 cup light rum
* 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa. Mix in rum and corn syrup. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in confectioners’ sugar. For a varied effect, roll some in dried coconut, some in cocoa powder and some in chocolate sprinkles, especially if you’re offering different flavors (alcoholic for adults and alcohol-free for children).
2. Store rum balls in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days to develop flavor. Roll them again in confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Notes from Lauri:
You may substitute Bourbon for rum to make bourbon balls.
For Amaretto Balls substitute ½ cup of amaretto instead of rum, increase sugar by 1/8th cup, and add ¼ cup of rum.
To crush the vanilla wafers, pour entire box into a large ziplock bag and roll with rollingpin until completely crushed.
A half cup of orange juice plus one teaspoon of freshly grated orange peel can be substituted for the rum to make a non-alcoholic version for children.
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Comments (2) »
Thanks for posting this Lia. It really is fun to give Rum Balls for a Holiday gift. It’s a great way to share the warmth of the Holiday season. The Amaretto Balls are yummy too! Cheers!
Oh yum! My hubby is going to be so surprised when he comes home to me BAKING. It’s hard getting me to cook, rather than just sticking a Stouffer’s in the oven. Thanks for the recipe!
I hope the hubby gets a taste, lol.
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