Aunt Debbie’s Chocolate Rum Balls

My aunt Debbie from Dad's side made these every holiday.  She would pack them in cookie tins, and hand them out as homemade family gifts to everyone.    They were GREAT and now most of us associate them with the holidays.   But you can play around with other flavors and make them for almost any occasion. 

Aunt Debbie’s Chocolate Rum Balls

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons melted butter

½ cup rum

Directions:

1.       In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.  You can use a cookie dough scooper if you want, to keep the portions equal.   You can add more or less cocoa powder, depending on how dark you want them to be.  

2.       Layer the rum balls in a tight-sealing container (putting wax paper or parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together).  

3.       Refrigerate rum balls over night.  This helps them firm up.   Serve. 

Tips And Ideas:

·         You can roll the rum balls in ground nuts, powdered sugar, sprinkles (colors to suit the holiday/occasion), etc.   Or dip them in chocolate and lay them out to set up on wax paper.  

·         Leave the cocoa powder out and dye them different colors.

·         Leave the rum out and make them onto “cake pop” treats for the kids.

·         Experiment with different types of cookies.  Oreos (cream filling removed) or graham crackers would also give interesting colors and flavors.