Rum Or Bourbon Balls Recipe

"A classic staple at our house around the Holidays. It is by far one of our favorites. I used to make 2 batches; 1 with rum, 1 with bourbon. Also, I did half of each batch with cocoa dust and the other powdered sugar. And, very important - for the best flavor ... make sure that these are made a a couple of weeks ahead of the holidays to develop all the flavors. They are absolutely my favorite Christmas Cookie."

Original is 14 servings

Metric US

I've Tried It

Ingredients

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2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (very fine crushed or ground)
1 cup ground nuts (fine ground (pecans go best with bourbon; walnuts with rum)
1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar, sifted)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (+ 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup)

1/4 cup whiskey (bourbon whiskey, or rum)
COATING
Cocoa powder
Powdered sugar

Nutritional

Serving Size: 1 (59.6 g)
Calories 209.9
Total Fat - 5.2 g
Saturated Fat - 0.7 g
Cholesterol - 0.3 mg
Sodium - 39.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate - 21.7 g
Dietary Fiber - 1 g
Sugars - 19.2 g
Protein - 1.9 g
Calcium - 13.4 mg
Iron - 0.7 mg
Vitamin C - 0.1 mg
Thiamin - 0 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Base ... I prefer to use my food processor to grind up the wafers and the nuts; however, you can use a large ziploc bag and a rolling pin; but it takes a bit of work. Mix everything together in a large bowl. And, depending on the altitude and the humidity ... you may need to add a bit more bourbon or rum; or even corn syrup to get the balls to stick together well. YOU DO NOT want a wet batter, it should be very dry.

Step 2

With bourbon I prefer to add pecans; but with rum (I just use a white rum), I prefer walnuts. But don't be afraid to mix it up.

Step 3

Balls ... I use a small melon baller to get the same size each time, but that is not necessary. Add the mix to the palm of your hand - roll, squeeze, and roll again to make a nice size ball. It takes a minute so, take the time to do it right.

Step 4

Coating ... Roll each ball in either a small bowl of powdered sugar or cocoa. Transfer to a sealed contained (like tupperware), and let them rest 1-2 weeks for the best flavor. Then ENJOY!