Jul 28 2007
Chocolate Rum Balls
Here’s Savvy Cooking’s Christmas in July Post!
Christmas recipes abound. Everyone has his or her favorite. But many times the recipes are oriented towards the kids, because they enjoy sweets so much. Yet everyone also knows that chocolate knows no age boundary. Spicing it up with another adult favorite - alcohol - makes for a delightful combination. After all, ’tis the season to be merry!
To make this fine Christmas dessert that can be enjoyed all year round, you’ll need:
2 cups of chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons of corn syrup
1/3 cup of rum
1 bar German chocolate
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
3/4 cup of chocolate sprinkles
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of ground pecans (optional)
Luckily for those who are kitchen challenged, this confection is ultra simple to make. Just toss the cookie crumbs into a bowl and pour in the corn syrup. Knead the mixture together for a minute until all the crumbs are nicely coated. At this stage, they should easily stick together.
If the weather is too hot for them to do so, you may want to cool it in the refrigerator for just a few minutes. But not too long, there’s still much to do.
Pour in the rum and blend until it’s well incorporated into the corn syrup. Then add the chocolate chips and stir gently. Toss in the powdered sugar and mix until everything is uniform. Shape the mixture into balls about an inch (2.5cm) in diameter and lay them out onto wax paper. For extra firmness, you can cool them in the refrigerator while the next steps are carried out.
Take a double boiler and bring the water to about 100F/37.8C. Slide the chocolate bar onto the top section and when it starts to melt, swivel it just a bit. Take care not to get carried away. You don’t want to slosh the water out of the bottom section. Take a wooden spoon and move the semi-liquid chocolate around until it’s completely melted.
Remove from heat and pour the water out of the lower section. You can pour the chocolate into a warmed ceramic bowl or leave it where it is. Warming a ceramic bowl is simple, just put some water into the bowl and heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds. Make sure the water doesn’t completely boil away, though.
Remove the rum balls from the refrigerator and dip them quickly into the warm chocolate. The melting point of chocolate is about body temperature, so it should solidify nicely when it comes in contact with the cold rum ball. Let the chocolate drip off for a second or two before moving on to the next one.
You should be able to make about two dozen rum balls this way. For a variation to suit different tastes, try bourbon, rye or other types of whiskey instead of rum.
Holiday Menus
(NC)—Try making this delicious Homegrown Ontario Pulled Pork simple slow cooker recipe this holiday season and see the difference a little planning makes. Great as an appetizer served on a crostini, this savoury morsel will save you time in the kitchen while impressing your guests. More delicious appetizer recipes can be found online at [...]
(NC)—Adding new flavour to traditional foods can be fun and be a great way to get family members to try new foods. Indian flavoured products are becoming widely available and provide a great opportunity to create mouthwatering recipes for the whole family. This shrimp korma recipe is a quick and easy one for the entire [...]
(NC)—Mulligatawny soup originally became popular with the British stationed in India (employees of the East India Company) during Colonial Times. When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the Commonwealth. In fact Mulligatawny is the Anglicized name of two words for “pepper water,” molegoo (pepper) [...]
(NC)—Here are two easy ways to bring some excitement to your next children’s party – Wacky Waikiki or Purple Razzle Dazzle Shakes. For dozens more delicious treats to thrill your child, visit www.homebasics.ca.
Wacky Waikiki Shake
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and quartered
1 can frozen pineapple or pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed (6 oz)
1/2 cup milk
4 scoops Breyers [...]
Savor the Flavor Every Day, Every Way
Â
(ARA) – Long overlooked, mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure for helping those focusing on living a healthful life. To promote the nutritional benefits of fresh produce this back-to-school season, Weight Watchers continues Pick of the Season, a public health initiative spotlighting seasonal fruit and vegetables, with recipes this quarter [...]
Skyrocketing gas prices and escalating grocery costs have put getting more for a dollar top-of-mind for many consumers. Many Americans are tailoring their grocery shopping lists to ensure they get more bang for their buck. That means purchasing items that provide the best nutritional punch for their value.
Luxury items like prepackaged or single serve meals [...]
Blueberries are most abundant and least expensive in the summer, making it an ideal time to get your fill of these little blue gems. Stock the fridge and freezer with blueberries to make meals, snacks and desserts that are easy on the cook. Blueberries never need to be peeled, pitted, stemmed or chopped –just a [...]