CHRISTMAS RUM BALLS
Rum balls are a truffle-like confection of sweet, dense cake or biscuit material flavoured with chocolate and rum. They are roughly the size of a golf ball and often coated in chocolate sprinkles, desiccated coconut, or cocoa. Rum Balls are rich in flavor and have a fudgy texture. Rum balls are one of the Christmas season's easiest and most delicious treats. Fruit cakes are normally used as they are already packed with fruits, nuts and spices. However chocolate cake or vanilla cake could also be used. The Rum balls can also be made with digestive biscuits instead of cake
RECIPE FOR CAKE BASED RUM BALLS
Ingredients
300 grams Fruitcake (or chocolate or vanilla cake)
100 grams cooking chocolate broken into small bits
100 grams Icing sugar for binding and rolling
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup dark rum
100 grams glaze cherries or any nuts such as almonds or walnuts chopped
Cocoa powder for dusting
Chocolate sprinkles or desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)
Crumble the cake into smooth crumbs without lumps.
Heat the butter and chocolate in a pan. Cook on very low flame stirring all the time, till the chocolate is melted
Remove from heat and cool for a little while. Add the cake crumbs, glaze cherries / nuts and Rum and mix well. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until just firm enough to handle.
Take small portions of the mixture and roll into balls using the icing sugar to bind them. (use more icing sugar if required to make the balls firm).
Now roll the balls in the cocoa powder to coat them well.
You can serve the rum balls like this or coat them with Chocolate sprinkles or desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)
Refrigerate till required to serve.
