(28-32 rum balls)
Rum balls are pretty easy to make, and one of those things I associate with Christmas. I use whatever I happen to have on hand. It can be day old cake, cookies... various nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, coconut or hazelnuts.. cocoa powder or chocolate.. bourbon, if you don't care for rum. The rum and melted butter binds everything together, and those amounts can vary depending on the moisture content of the cake or cookie crumbs. I rarely add sugar because the mixture usually already seems sweet enough to me. If I were to add any, I would probably use icing sugar for these.
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark rum
4 tbsp butter
cocoa powder or sprinkles for rolling
Place the cookie crumbs and pecans into a microwave safe bowl.
Grind the chocolate chips in a food processor until fine and add those to the cookies and pecans. Stir until well combined.
Place the entire bowl into the microwave cook for about 15-25 seconds on high. Remove the bowl and stir well. The chocolate will have melted just enough to darken the mixture after you stir it.
Sprinkle the rum over the top and stir to distribute the rum evenly.
Melt the butter, and when it's hot, stir that into the rum ball mixture. It should begin to clump up and you should be able to form small balls.If the mixture seems too dry, add an additional small amount of melted butter or more rum.
Form small balls about the size of a walnut. Roll these in either cocoa powder or sprinkles. Store them in a tin with a tight fitting lid.
