Rum Balls

It’s almost Christmas, so here is my recipe for these boozy, dark Rum Balls that are sure to knock your socks off. And when I say boozy, I mean B-O-O-Z-Y! 😀

Before I get into it, I want to thank you all for all the wonderful messages you’ll sent me after reading my previous blog post. It was hard to share a part of my life so private and secluded, yet so large. I’m touched and so grateful for all your kind words of support and love. So many of you shared your own accounts of struggle, depression and loss, and I’m honoured that you’ll chose to have those discussions with me. You are the best! ❤

Okay, now coming to Rum Balls. Yes, I’m going to keep saying Rum Balls, no matter how awkward it may seem. No, I am not going to call them Rum ’roundels’ or Rum ‘spheres’  or Rum ‘truffles’. They are Rum Balls! Let’s all be grown-ups here. 😛

I have a weird Rum Balls-related story. When I was studying in pre-university college (11th & 12th grade), the college canteen housed a tiny dessert counter, complete with a chilled rack showcasing their bestsellers – mocha cake, chocolate truffle cake, chocolate Swiss roll, and rum balls. Let’s unpack that. It was 11th & 12th grade. And the COLLEGE CANTEEN served RUM BALLS! Seriously, the label said rum balls!

Back then I didn’t once think rum balls sold in a college canteen was weird. I lived in a place where underage drinking was widely encouraged, and those whose families looked down upon it, sought out faraway bars and pubs to get drunk. Neither was cool then, and it still isn’t. I munched on them seldom, but I have no memory of them tasting rum-y. They were just sweet. Nothing else. No depth of flavour, no melange of textures. The best way I can describe them is cake-pops-with-an-alcoholic-beverage-in-its-name-to-get-all-eager-wannabe-underage-drinkers-to-buy-them! And there were kids who thought it was cool to eat a few and pretend (!) they were wasted by lunchtime. (Remember those kids from high school?) Eeek.

These gorgeous Rum Balls you see in the pictures, however, are nothing like the ones sold in the college canteen. These boast of intense flavours, texture and warmth. And you literally need just 15 minutes to make them. Easy peasy!

Here’s what you need:

• Pecans – 50 g
• Walnuts – 100 g
• Digestive Biscuits – 175 g
• Icing Sugar – 100 g
• Cocoa – 2 tbsp
• Light Corn Syrup – 2 tbsp
• Dark Rum – 50 ml

Here’s how you make these perfect Rum Balls:

• Place the pecans, walnuts and digestive biscuits in a food processor and blitz in short bursts until the nuts and biscuits are coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Sift in the cocoa and icing sugar; give the dry ingredients a good mix. Then pour in the light corn syrup and dark rum.
• Knead the dough-like mixture until it all comes together and is well combined. The mixture will be a bit sticky at this point.
• Lightly wet your hands and begin kneading the mixture into small, bite-sized balls. You may also use a small ice-cream scoop to simplify the process. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
• Coat the rum balls with melted chocolate or roll in cocoa powder or powdered pistachios. Serve as is, or place a few into cookie bags for cute holiday gifts.

There’s nothing I would change about these Rum Balls. And to get here took multiple trials and errors. My first try was ache-in-the-chest kind of boozy. And another try rendered a sweet and boring end product. After several failed attempts, the flavour notes in these Rum Balls are flawlessly balanced.

Bite in and what strikes you first is the presence of digestive biscuits; that slight crackle retained in the salty biscuit, despite being soaked through. Next there’s that deep nuttiness from the walnuts and pecans, a hit of bitterness here and a splash of sweetness there. This is followed by the rush of chocolate, a rich darkness laying the foundation for the heat from the rum, slipping gently past your palate down your throat, now turning luscious and velvety!

There’s only one catch – these Rum Balls taste best when aged. I’m not talking months or years; just three days. Just like the evergreen rich fruit cake, these Rum Balls need to rest at room temperature or in the refrigerator for the flavours to develop and really come together to give us the best versions of themselves. Of course you can eat them right away, but trust me, you’re gonna want to wait. This is one of those instances when patience is truly rewarding (which is every time, really!).

These Rum Balls are not kid-friendly (check the tip below) and certainly do not belong on a pre-university college canteen menu. But they deserve a place in your home, err, I mean your tummy, this Christmas! They’ll bring joy to all you share them with; isn’t that what Christmas is really about?

Tip: If you’d like to make these Rum Balls kid-friendly, you can substitute rum with orange syrup. To make orange syrup bring 1 part fresh orange juice and 2/3 part sugar to a boil. Cook it for 7-10 minutes until reduced. Cool completely, strain, then use. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make these Rum Balls today and they’ll be unbelievably incredible in time for Christmas! Thank me later. 🙂

Dear Reader, I’m signing off for the year 2018. I’ll be taking a short break from conceptualization, recipe development, food photography and blog writing for about 2 weeks, and I’ll be back in the new year, fresh and ready to bring you so much more delicious goodness. I hope you’re taking some time off too to cherish your loved ones during the holidays! 🙂

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas! I hope you’re surrounded by people you love at this time of year and that the holidays are filled with love, laughter, fun and relaxation. Lots of love and God Bless. ❤

Want to Pin This recipe for later? Here you go…

If you’re behind on the Christmas prep, these recipes will help you out…

• A quick and easy Chocolate Fudge that you can whip up just a day before Christmas.
• Uber cute Christmas Tree Brownie Pops that the kids will adore!
• Snappy, spiced Gingerbread Cookies.
• Adorable Decorated Sugar Cookies with simple icing tips.
• The silkiest, thickest, darkest, most divine Hot Chocolate you’ve ever had!

Psst… If you’d like to, you could come check me out on Pinterest! I pin a tonne of fun stuff – chocolate, lots of dessert, easy weeknight recipes; and home decor (I’m obsessed with home office spaces!)😛

Also, for regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤

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