Rum Balls are a traditional holiday treat, but most of the recipes I’ve come across use crushed vanilla wafers or chocolate cookies. Not this recipe! These Rum Balls are made with a rich, dark chocolate brownie base that is crumbled and mixed with dark spiced rum (I’ve spiked mine with vanilla) to a create the most delicious “dough” that is then rolled into little balls and coated with sparkling sugar.
This recipe in simple, easy and tastes amazing. These balls are best served chilled or at least cold to hold their shape. They make a terrific addition to any gift basket and are a very welcome hostess gift as well. Here is how you can make your own:
You can find the entire recipe for Rum Balls here.
Pre-heat the oven to 350. Generously coat a 12″x17″ rimmed baking sheet with Pam and set aside.
In a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth and combines. Set bowl aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture, then mix in the flour.
You will have enough batter to create a shallow layer in the baking sheet. Spread the batter evenly over the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Let cake cool completely.
After cake has cooled, break into small pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I like the turn on the machine and let it break up the cake into small crumbs.
With the mixer running, slowly pour in the rum (I used a Spiced Rum that I had previously added a few vanilla beans to the bottle. It gives a nice vanilla essence to the rum!) to create a nice dough ball. Using a 1 inch ice cream scoop, make small balls and coat in sanding sugar. When all balls are finished, chill in the fridge for around 2 hours.
For gift giving: wrap each of the balls individually in a small square of plastic wrap and place in a mini-muffin paper. Fit a small rectangle of cardboard (my dad cut up some Macy’s shirt boxes!) on the bottom of a cello bag and add a small strip of decorative paper.
Place two rows of three rum balls each in their muffin papers into the bag, tie with ribbon and add a tag. Store in a cool place before giving.
