Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tis the Season to be Alcohol Induced Jolly...

     rumballs

I ain't got no rum.
It's not exactly my tipple of choice, but I'm from a family of men and I got no rum, what's going on here? When desire to make rum balls sprung up the other day I had to improvise and I was pleasantly suprised with the alternative - chocolate vodka. Seems quite disgusting at any other time of year but around Christmas time it just feels right, doesn't it? A bit like eggnog if you ask me.

My mum decided to make good old fashioned gingerbread this year to sustain us while we assembled our Christmas tree. This may not seem like a big enough deal to be fed, but we have a lot of sparkling decorations to put up, gathered from all the years of those pointless weeks before school breaks up at summer time, when you've cleaned under all the tables and swept out your cubby hole and all your teachers make you do is watch Disney movies and make your own decorations because they know no kid is going to concentrate in sweltering heat and the prospect of a Santa visit soon.

Anyway the point to that is that I had some left over gingerbread floating around which, although delectable by itself, I thought would be perfect added to my nonrumvodka balls. Then I thought to make it even more festively over the top I'd chuck some chocolate pieces into the mix and really go all out. It is Christmas after all...

Non Rum Rum Balls
Makes enough to make you happy

300g gingerbread (substitute with plain or chocolate flavoured biscuits)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 a cup desiccated coconut 
395g can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate vodka (or dark rum...)
1/3 cup sultanas
2/3 cup chocolate chips

In a food processor, blend the gingerbread or biscuits until a fine texture is achieved. 
Transfer to a big bowl, sift in the cocoa powder, add in the coconut, sultanas and chocolate chips. Mix until combined.

Now add in the wet ingredients - the vanilla extract, the vodka or rum, and the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until well combined, the mixture should be slighty sticky and quite wet.

Now grab a dinner sized plate and cover with a layer of coconut. Wet your hands, dollop a tablespoon of the mixture into your palm and roll into a ball. Plonk onto the plate of coconut and roll to cover in coconut. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat until all mixture is used up and you have a full plate of non rum rum balls staring up at you. Can be frozen weeks before or re-fridgerated a week before the big day.

No comments:

Post a Comment