A popular Christmas treat throughout Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Rum balls are made from either cakes, brownies or biscuits, flavoured with chocolate and rum. I prepared a brownie, which was crumbled and soaked in rum. The mixture was shaped into golf-sized balls, each one dipped in melted chocolate, garnished with sprinkles and chilled to set. They were incredibly moist and delicious.
When preparing rum balls for children, substitute the rum with apple or orange juice. The coating can vary from chocolate, icing sugar, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut or nuts. Biscuit-based rum balls are usually made from vanilla wafers and flavoured with condensed milk.
Rum balls incarnated from leftover cuts of cakes and biscuits. Bakeries and cake shops ensured that no scraps were wasted so they recycled them by crumbling and soaking in rum, creating rum balls which gained popularity especially during Christmas time.
When preparing rum balls for children, substitute the rum with apple or orange juice. The coating can vary from chocolate, icing sugar, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut or nuts. Biscuit-based rum balls are usually made from vanilla wafers and flavoured with condensed milk.
Rum balls incarnated from leftover cuts of cakes and biscuits. Bakeries and cake shops ensured that no scraps were wasted so they recycled them by crumbling and soaking in rum, creating rum balls which gained popularity especially during Christmas time.
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Rum Balls
(Yields 34)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dark rum
sprinkles, icing sugar, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, nuts (as desired)
Brownie
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Coating
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Brownie:
Grease and line a 9" x 9" square pan with parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper on top too.
Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
In a heatproof bowl, add 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup butter and melt, set over a saucepan of simmering water (not boiling). Set aside to cool.
Sift dry ingredients; flour and baking soda.
With an electric beater, beat the eggs and sugar well. Stir in the chocolate mixture followed by vanilla extract and dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake till the top is set and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out with some crumbs attached, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Break brownie into small pieces and transfer into a bowl. Pour in rum and mix well. The mixture should be moist. Using an ice-cream scoop, shape mixture into balls. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm. In the meantime, prepare the chocolate coating.
Coating:
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips with milk in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (not boiling).
Roll each ball in melted chocolate and using a fork, lift the coated ball letting excess chocolate drip off. (If chocolate thickens, rewarm over hot water or in a microwave.)
If desired, use your favourite chocolate bar to melt and coat balls.
Place coated balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles or roll balls directly from the chocolate bowl in cocoa powder.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours to set. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Rum balls can be refrigerated for several weeks or frozen.
Note:
(Yields 34)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dark rum
sprinkles, icing sugar, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, nuts (as desired)
Brownie
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Coating
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Brownie:
Grease and line a 9" x 9" square pan with parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper on top too.
Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
In a heatproof bowl, add 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup butter and melt, set over a saucepan of simmering water (not boiling). Set aside to cool.
Sift dry ingredients; flour and baking soda.
With an electric beater, beat the eggs and sugar well. Stir in the chocolate mixture followed by vanilla extract and dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake till the top is set and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out with some crumbs attached, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Break brownie into small pieces and transfer into a bowl. Pour in rum and mix well. The mixture should be moist. Using an ice-cream scoop, shape mixture into balls. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm. In the meantime, prepare the chocolate coating.
Coating:
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips with milk in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (not boiling).
Roll each ball in melted chocolate and using a fork, lift the coated ball letting excess chocolate drip off. (If chocolate thickens, rewarm over hot water or in a microwave.)
If desired, use your favourite chocolate bar to melt and coat balls.
Place coated balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles or roll balls directly from the chocolate bowl in cocoa powder.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours to set. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Rum balls can be refrigerated for several weeks or frozen.
Note:
- The brownie with semi-sweet chocolate chips is truly yum. Add 2/3 cup chopped walnuts to the batter if you are just baking the brownie.
- I used Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum. The rum balls were loaded with rum flavour and a real treat.
- In case of unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the brownie batter.