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Rum balls
Chocolate cake crumb balls with rum, rolled in coconut
Rum balls are the grown-ups' Christmas sweet in Australia, rolled by the trayful in December and handed round at end-of-year parties from Sydney to Perth. They are made from chocolate cake crumbs or crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and dark rum, rolled in coconut. They contain alcohol and are for adults only; for children or anyone avoiding alcohol, use rum essence and a splash of orange juice instead. A common mistake is a mix that's too wet; chill it before rolling. Chef's tip: make them a day ahead so the flavours mellow.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ oz desiccated coconut
- 3 tbsp dark rumor 1 tsp rum essence plus 2 tbsp orange juice for alcohol-free
- 2 ⅛ oz desiccated coconutfor rolling
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz chocolate cake crumbs or crushed plain sweet biscuits, ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 ¾ oz desiccated coconut and 3 tbsp dark rum (or the alcohol-free option) until it holds together when squeezed.
5 minStep 2: Chill for 30 minutes until firm enough to roll.
30 minStep 3: Roll into 24 balls about 3.5 cm across and roll each in 2 ⅛ oz desiccated coconut.
20 minStep 4: Chill for at least 1 hour. Keep in the fridge for up to a week, and label them if you make both versions.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rum balls take?
- About 30 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of cocoa powder?
- Drinking chocolate, same amount (sweeter, so cut the sugar).
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