The holidays are here and my entire family has begun talking about Aunt Peggy’s Rum Balls. She used to make the every holiday season and we had to hide them from Jason or no one else would get any. She is not around any longer but she left us with a lot of love and her recipes. So, if you feel like adding a little of our holiday traditions to yours, here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 4 Cups rolled vanilla wafers (finely ground – she used a rolling pin to roll over them)
- 1 1/2 cups Finely chopped nuts
- 1 1/2 tbs cocoa
- 2 tbs white Karo corn syrup
- 1/2 Cup Rum (you can add less for a weaker rum ball)
- 1 Cup powdered sugar (for coating the balls)
Preparation:
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly
- form into small balls.
- Roll in powdered sugar and wrap in waxed paper
- You freeze these for up to 3 months (they won’t last that long in our house)
Variation:
My nephew, Austin O’Hara, who is the Executive Chef for a college in North Dakota, sent me a note about these. “I add the 1/2 Cup of rum and 1/4 cup of Disaronno (Amaretto) but I like mine strong. Also, if you can find “snow” dextrose sugar instead of powdered sugar, it won’t dissolve over time.”
After Peggy was gone, Jason’s neighbor, John (an 85 year old retired chef) took up the mantle and started making them and giving them to Jason and the family as a gift. Of course he had to prepare two batched or we would only get about six of them. John is now in his 90’s and is not baking as much as he used to so I am going to have to make my own Rum Balls this year.
Having these Rum balls always means the holidays are here and they bring back a lot of fond memories. Try them and let me know what you think!
