It's the Christmas season and everyone I know is making rum balls!!!
Okay not everyone but it certainly does appear that way on my facebook and Instagram newsfeed!
We have a tradition in our family to make anything goes balls. What's that you ask? Well it's pretty much using what ever liquor we have in the house. I don't drink rum so don't want to waste money just for a few tablespoons. (You know I like saving money! ) Past Christmas balls making we've used Frangelico, Baileys, Kahluha, and this year it looks to be Chamfords Raspberry Liqueur.
All very yummy but the key is not to put too much liquor in! If you put too much you're really just making chewable rum, it overpowers all the other flavours and you forget about the other delicious ingredients like coconut and chocolate.
Traditional rum balls were made from left over fruit cake, add a bit of rum and much like our cake balls/ pops of today you mashed it together and made balls. (You could use orange juice for an alcohol free version) but today I am giving you our family's version, which I am sure is similar to many of you in the world wide web.
Rum Balls basic with variations:
Food processor Version.
(You can crush biscuits manually but I'm lazy)
Ingredients
250g sweet plain biscuits e.g Arrowroot or even better Chocolate Ripple
1-2 tablespoons of cocoa
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of Rum
4 tablespoons of Shreded Coconut
Method
Put biscuits in food processor and blast until in crumbs. (Or bash the daylights out of them on the bench in a zip lock bag before putting in mixing bowl)
Add Rest of ingredients ( except coconut ) until well mixed. Mixture should be very thick. At this stage it may be a little too soft or sticky because of our summer heat; so just pop in the fridge for a bit to prevent totally flat bottomed balls.
Then take spoonfuls of the mixture and make your balls by rolling between your palms then roll in coconut.
*Now if your balls are still a bit too soft to hold their round shape, put them back in the fridge to firm up a little then reshape the ball again and place in fridge to fully set.
*Or if you get really pedantic, pull your cake pop pans out and let them set in there!
Variations:
Use any liquor you prefer
Replace liquor with orange juice or chocolate sauce
Add 1/2 a cup of sultanas or diced cherries
Roll in sprinkles instead of coconut.
*To make gluten free check that all ingredients are labelled gluten free.
*There are now Vegan Condensed Milks available including a delicious coconut milk version.
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FAQs
While vanilla wafers are my favorite for their subtle sweetness and vanilla notes, graham crackers, butter cookies, digestive biscuits, or shortbread cookies are all excellent substitutes. For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free cookies.
Why are my rum balls dry? ›
You want the mixture to be wet enough that it holds together easily when rolled into a ball, but not so wet that it is soggy and doesn't hold it's shape. If you think it's a little on the dry side, add a splash more rum and give it another good mix.
How to thicken rum balls? ›
Add more cocoa powder or ground almonds if the mixture needs thickening. Roll and coat: Bakery rum balls tend to be monstrously huge; I prefer to make them bite-sized at home.
Why do my rum balls go flat? ›
Mixture should be very thick. At this stage it may be a little too soft or sticky because of our summer heat; so just pop in the fridge for a bit to prevent totally flat bottomed balls.
Can you use graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers? ›
I haven't had banana pudding in years, and as I recall, it was always with vanilla wafers. The graham crackers worked equally well as a replacement. I'd never used Dream Whip before, but it certainly thickened the pudding nicely.
What can I use in place of vanilla wafers in a recipe? ›
- If you're using them as a cookie any small sugar or butter cookie will suffice.
- OR - Replace vanilla (Nilla) wafers with shortbread cookies.
- OR - For making a pie or dessert crust you can substitute graham cracker crumbs.
- OR - Chocolate wafers, crushed make a good pie crust.
Creams: As an alternative to powder, you can invest in a soothing cream, like the aptly named Fresh Balls Lotion for Men which is less cumbersome to apply than powder, and dries with a cooling tingle.
Does alcohol evaporate out of rum balls? ›
Does the alcohol evaporate in rum balls? No. They are not baked, so all the alcohol that goes into the mixture of this rum balls recipe will stay there! Get all professional tips you need whether you want to bake thick, thin, chewy or crunchy cookies!
Why does my rum taste bad? ›
This would be more likely if the rum is left uncorked, or corked and uncorked a lot. It's also possible for a natural cork to be contaminated, which could affect the quality of the rum. This is referred to as “cork taint” and it is caused by a chemical compound called Trichloroanisole, commonly known as TCA.
Will rum balls get you drunk? ›
Can rum balls make you drunk? This is a no bake recipe, which means any alcohol we use in the process won't be cooked away or made less effective. However, we're not using that much of it, so getting drunk isn't something to worry about! After all, there's only ¼ cup of rum divided among 24 individual bites.
Rum balls are a popular Christmas treat in England, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United States, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Greece and the Czech Republic. In Denmark they are enjoyed year round and known as either romkugle, trøffel or sputnik, depending on the specific region.
How do you make rum better? ›
Toss in some sliced vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, or even a handful of your favorite dried fruits and let them mingle with the rum for a few days to a week. Strain, and voila! You've got a spiced rum that'll make Captain Morgan jealous.
What if my rum balls are too dry? ›
If the mixture seems too dry, add an additional small amount of melted butter or more rum. Form small balls about the size of a walnut.
Do rum balls contain egg? ›
In bowl mix together walnuts, sweet chocolate, sugar and half the egg whites. Add enough rum to moisten mixture so it holds together to form dough. Shape mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in remaining egg white, then in chocolate sprinkles.
Can babies eat rum balls? ›
Toddlers and kids shouldn't eat Rum Balls since they contain alcohol. However, our toddler loves chocolate balls, so we simply substitute the rum with water or milk.
Can I substitute vanilla for rum in baking? ›
When using vanilla extract as a substitute for rum, you can use a little less than the recipe calls for, as vanilla extract is very strong in flavor. Almond extract: Almond extract is a type of flavoring that is made from the almond oil. It has a sweet, nutty flavor that is similar to rum.
What can I use instead of rum in cookies? ›
Use small amounts of McCormick Culinary Imitation Rum Extract as an exceptional substitute for rum in recipes; 2 teaspoons of rum extract equals 1 tablespoon of dark rum, or 1 tablespoon of rum extract equals 5 tablespoons of light rum. No preparation necessary.
What can I use instead of vanilla alcohol? ›
- Swap in Dark Rum. Dark rum is an obvious choice for a vanilla extract substitute. ...
- Swap in Bourbon. Bourbon swapped in for vanilla is another easy solution. ...
- Swap in Brandy. Syrupy, fruity, barely sweet brandy is one of those bottles I buy and promptly forget about.
INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, PALM OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEY (FROM MILK), EGGS, SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, ...
