15 December 2011

Holiday Baking: Rum Balls [Recipe]


What could these mysterious treats be?


Well, you start with these tasty items...


 

Break out the food processor...


 

Mix things up...




 

Set up your workstation...


Get rolling...


And end up with delicious rum balls!


I'm not usually a fan of alcohol (I made these for the SO who loves anything rum-flavoured) but as I nibbled at some of the mixture that stuck to my hands as I rolled them, I was amazed: these are heavenly! Not only can I see them becoming a regular part of my holiday baking repertoire but they would be perfect for a summertime treat when it's too hot to turn on the oven. I suspect the key is good-quality honey (definitely not the pasteurized kind). Whatever it is I highly recommend you make a batch (or several).

Rum Balls

[My notes/changes in brackets]

1 12-oz (312 g) pkg vanilla wafers
16 oz (2 cups/500 g) pecan pieces
1/2 cup honey [best quality; you can find the good stuff at a farmers' market or a decent grocery store)
1/3 cup bourbon [we had trouble finding some so I used blended whiskey. Seems like it was an excellent substitute]
1/3 cup dark rum [I always think of how they pronounce Havana Club in Cuba--"Havana cloob"--and it makes me smile every time]
1/3 cup powdered/icing sugar

Process cookies in food processor until ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Process [pulse] pecans in food processor until finely chopped. Stir into cookie crumbs. Stir in honey, bourbon, and rum. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in powdered sugar. Place in an airtight container, store in refrigerator up to 1 week [but probably longer. The recipe also claims they get better with age].

Yield: 6 dozen 3 dozen

The recipe came from a magical book called simply Christmas Cookies, published by Oxmoor House, which I couldn't find anywhere on the web including the Oxmoor House site. Maybe elves made it and left it for me to find...

Photos by Whimsy Bower

[Edited to update title and for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

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