2 Rum Ball Recipes

Yes....Rum Balls 

Rum Balls

YIELD: 20 large balls

PREP TIME: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup spiced rum

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Drizzle in vanilla, corn syrup and rum.
2. Scoop scoop and shape into 1 inch balls or larger. I used about 4 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture per ball which equaled 2 level scoops from the small cookie scoop.
3. Roll Rum Balls in additional confectioners' sugar, cocoa, sprinkles or whatever strikes your fancy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days to develop the flavor.

NOTES:

- If you chose to roll your Rum Balls in confectioners; sugar, you may need to re-coat them before serving.

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THE RECIPE: THE BEST RUM BALL

Makes 24, total time 45 minutes

pinch of finely ground sea salt
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (double if not adding the nuts)
1 cup of roasted almond crumbs (1 1/2 cups if starting with raw whole almonds, see below)
3 ounces of milk chocolate
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of heavy cream
3 tbsp of dark rum 
pinch of cayenne (not too much, we don’t want heat, we are just adding it to punch the flavours with the sea salt as these are always served cold)
1/4 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg
1 tbsp of corn syrup

4 tbsp of icing sugar or cocoa powder for coating the outsides of the Rum Balls

To roast the almonds, add about 1 1/2 cups of raw almonds to a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees. When they are done the inside will be a darker brown, but the outside should not have burnt.

Place the cooled almonds in your food processor and buzz them until the size of large bread crumbs. Careful you do not buzz them too much or they will make a paste.

Combine the almonds, graham cracker crumbs and sea salt in a mixing bowl.

In a sauce pan, melt the chocolate and butter over very low heat while stirring. Remove the pan from the heat just before it is melted and continue stirring until completely melted.

Stir in the cream, rum, corn syrup, cayenne and nutmeg.

Add the chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Place the mixture in the fridge for about ten minutes if it is too mucky to form balls.

Using your hands roll balls about the 3/4 of an inch high. Roll the ball in a dish of either cocoa powder or icing sugar.

Place in the freezer and enjoy directly out of freezer! These will get better with time if you can wait long enough.

Something hot for a cold night

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1 oz. Espresso Coffee Liqueur
0.5 oz. Cavalino
6 oz. Hot Cocoa
6 Whipped Cream
1 pinch(es) Cinnamon

Combine the  Espresso Coffee Liqueur and the Cavalino Tequila in a hot beverage glass.

Pour hot cocoa over the top.

Stir to combine.

Add whipped cream topping (optional).

Garnish with ground cinnamon or ground chile and a cinnamon stick (optional).

Heated Affair

2 oz. Cavalino Anejo Tequila
6 oz. Apple Cider
Heavy Cream
Add tequila and hot apple cider to small, warm wine glass. Float heavy cream. Grate fresh nutmeg over cream.

White-Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Coconut and Rum

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon rum

Directions

1. Warm milk, coconut milk, and cream in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add chocolate, and whisk until melted and combined. Continue to warm mixture until thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in rum.

Chocolate Vodka...try this

I have been asked many times what to do with chocolate vodka.... here are some recipes:

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe Chocolate Vodka Strawberries Combine ingredients in a blender, and blend well. Pour into a chilled daiquiri/margarita glass, garnish with a chocolate covered strawberry, and serve.

Fudge Slide Recipe Irish Cream Chocolate Vodka Coffee Liqueur Pour each ingredient into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Chocolate Martini (iii) Recipe Chocolate Vodka White Creme de Cacao Garnish: cocoa powder and grated chocolate Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass that has been rimmed with cocoa powder. Garnish with the grated chocolate. Note: Pour slowly to avoid getting the cocoa powder from the rim of the glass into the drink. If you are really crafty, rim the chilled glass with chocolate sauce and place the glass into the freezer until you are ready to serve the drink.

Cherry Cordial Recipe Chocolate Vodka Cherry Liqueur Pour in Shot Glass

Snowball Cocktail

This drink has a flavor that’s definitely for the kid in you – but with three and a half ounces of alcohol, there’s definitely something for the grown-up, too. The terminally adult need not apply.

Snowball

• 3 ounces 1921 Tequila Cream Liqueur
• 3 drops of vanilla
• crushed ice
• 1 ounce of evaporated skim milk
• 1/2 ounce Kahlua
• cinnamon powder
• cinnamon stick

Pour all the ingredients – except for the cinnamon powder – into a blender. Blend for about ten seconds. Pour it into a wine glass or brandy snifter. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top and stick the cinnamon stick down in the glass for garnish.

Eggnog Martini

Eggnog Martini

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2oz. eggnog
1oz. vanilla vodka
3/4oz. Amaretto

Source: Single Minded Women

DIRECTIONS:

Combine ingredients in shaker and shake over ice. Strain into chilled martini glass. Dust with freshly grated nutmeg.

Got Eggnog? Try making it!!

From the Kitchen Riffs Blog:

Eggnog (or Egg Nog) enjoys seasonal popularity between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  Then it drops off our radar screens for the rest of the year.  Which is OK by me — certain foods are best savored seasonally.  And nothing says “holiday season” like Eggnog.

But when was the last time you tasted the real thing?  Yeah, you’ll find shelves of “Eggnog” in your grocer’s dairy case this time of the year (usually non-alcoholic; it’s up to you to add the booze).  But the commercial stuff pales in comparison to what you can make at home.  

Recipe: Eggnog

Whether aged or not, Eggnog is nothing more than beaten eggs with cream (or milk), sugar, spices, and liquor added. However, there are several methods you can use to combine the ingredients (more on this in Notes). The procedure I use here is, I believe, the easiest and most foolproof method.

This recipe is adapted from Elsie Masterton’s Blueberry Hill Menu Cookbook. It makes a bit over two quarts. And you can easily double the quantity if you have a gang coming over, or you want to give out some containers as gifts.

Ingredients 

• 8 large eggs, separated (I suggest pasteurized eggs; see Notes)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 quart heavy (40%) cream
• 2 teaspoons grated nutmeg, plus additional for dusting on top of drink (optional; see Notes)
• 3 cups dark rum or bourbon ~~I like spiced rum~~
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

 Procedure

1. Set eggs out to warm up (about 45 minutes; room temperature egg whites beat better).
2. Set out two mixing bowls — one for egg yolks, the other for egg whites (using a stand mixer with two bowls works best).  Thoroughly wash and dry the mixing bowl and beaters that you’ll use for beating the egg whites.  These must be clean, without a hint of grease, before the egg white touches them — otherwise the whites won’t mound, or will do so incompletely.
3. Separate eggs (see Notes)
4. In one mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until they are a frothy golden yellow.
5. Add sugar and beat until pale yellow.
6. Add cream and nutmeg (if using), and beat until just incorporated into the egg mixture.
7. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in rum or bourbon.
8. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar.  Beat whites until they form peaks, but don’t overbeat — they shouldn’t go past the “glistening” stage.
9. By hand, fold the egg whites into the egg-yolk and rum or bourbon mixture until just incorporated.  Don't over-mix.
10. Pour mixture into an airtight pitcher or other convenient container and store in the refrigerator.
11. Age at least 5 days before serving.  The Eggnog will be good for at least six weeks.
12. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg on top.

How Much Age Can Your Eggnog Take?

This Eggnog tastes good right after you make it.  But it’s better after 5 days.  And still better after 2 weeks.  After that, the flavor still continues to improve, but less dramatically.  

Eggnog remains drinkable for at least six weeks after you mix it.  In fact, some recipes call for putting some serious age on Eggnog — as in a year or more.

“A year!” I marveled to Mrs. Kitchen Riffs when I heard about those recipes.  “What great flavor that Eggnog must have!  I should try it out.”

“So,” replied Mrs. Kitchen Riffs, “how long has a batch of Eggnog ever lasted around here before it was guzzled down?”

“Well . . . maybe a month.  Sometimes.  At least once or twice.”

“And you think you can wait a whole year before breaking into it?”

Michaels and Hot Cocoa Tiramisu

Michaels and Hot Chocolate Tiramisu

Ingredients

Yields: 4 servings

¼ cup hot water
¼ cup hot cocoa powder
¼ cup Michaels Irish Cream
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups mascarpone cheese
18 ladyfingers

Directions

1. Start by adding 2 tsp of hot cocoa mix to hot water, and stir till dissolved. Then add in the Michaels.

2. In a double boiler, whisk (by hand) very quickly and continuously 2 egg yolks and sugar till combined and the mixture lightens and becomes the texture of runny pudding. {Try not to over cook the eggs. If you do they will look more like scrambled eggs.} Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl whisk (with your hand held electric beaters or electric whisk) 2 egg whites till they form stiff peaks. Once done, set aside.

4. Fold the mascarpone cheese into the egg yolk mixture. When the cheese is well combined and creamy, fold it into the egg white mixture.

5. Using 2 mugs, place 3 ladyfingers at the bottom of the cup. Generously brush with the hot cocoa Baileys liquid. Next spoon the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Then sprinkle with hot cocoa powder. Repeat process 2 times. On the last round end with the ladyfingers and place on top of them either hand whipped heavy cream or canned whip cream.

6. Top with mini marshmallows, a dusting of hot chocolate mix, and a wafer straw.

Enjoy!