Rum Balls

Rum balls announce Christmas. They shout it out, but not in the overtly commercialised way a candy cane croons, or  the gaudy childish way a gingerbread trumpets, or the traditional stoic manner in which Christmas cake proclaims the season. Maybe it is just me, but rum balls are an anytime treat that evoke memories Santa, gluttony and presents.

I searched far and wide for dark rum, and all I found was this ‘Rebellion’ brand from the Carribean, cost me a whole $8.75AU too.

As a child I often escaped the summer loneliness of the farm and spent Xmas with family in Brisbane. Helping wrap presents, playing with cousins, swimming and cooking. It quickly became my job to make the sweets, a task I relished and not just because I got to lick the bowl! White Christmas, a cloying mixture of coconut, dried fruit, milk powder and rice bubbles bound with copha, was the sweet I liked the least. Coconut covered apricot balls were tasty but rum balls way out ahead as my favourite.

They are so simple to make, even a child can do it, the flavours are so strong and clear that you can never stop at just one. For the best results use top quality cocoa and rum, and make sure that your coconut is fresh. These delightful little spheres of delicious will disappear before you know it, they are perfect little gifts and so easy to take as a ‘plate’. I’ve already made two batches and I don’t even like Xmas.

Rum Balls

1 packet plain milk Arrowroot biscuits, or similar. (I used a french milk biscuit which worked very well, about 200g per batch)
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 395g can sweetened condensed milk
3 Tablespoons dark rum

1 cup extra coconut (for rolling)

First you must crush the biscuits. If you have a food processor, wonderful, just bung them in a blitz til they are almost powder. If you’re like me and devoid of all electrical kitchen appliances then its the old fashioned way which works surprisingly well. Put biscuits in a zip lock bag and crush them by rolling a rolling pin across the bag.

Mix all dry ingredients together well, then pour over the rum. Add about 3/4 of the condensed milk, stirring well to form a stiff mixture. You may need to add the remainder of the condensed milk, use your judgement.
Cool mixture for one hour in the fridge.

When rum ball mixture has cooled sufficiently it is time to make it into balls. With damp hands take dessertspoonfulls of the mixture and roll between your palms to form a sphere. Place on a tray lined with dessicated coconut and repeat for the remainder of the mix.

Then roll balls in extra desiccated coconut and refrigerate until required. You can also freeze them, but I’ve never had enough to bother with that.