Fudgy and moreish, rum balls are a favourite treat, and an ideal gift that anyone would love to receive. Made with either biscuits and condensed milk, or chocolate and cake crumbs, these rum ball recipes are easy and delicious.
About Rum Balls
Like a lot of the world's best dishes, rum balls were the result of necessity. At Christmas time when bakeries and cake shops are working in overdrive, there was inevitably a lot of leftovers and off cuts, from the cakes and biscuits. To ensure nothing went to waste, these leftovers were crumbled up with rum and chocolate and rolled in extra chocolate. Before long 'rum balls' had become as popular as the cakes and biscuits they were made from, and now you can find them as part of the festive traditions throughout Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Tips and tricks for Rum Balls
Rum balls are one of the season's easiest treats. To ensure yours turn out just right, follow these tips and tricks:
- If you're working in a warm kitchen, pop the bowl with the rum ball mix in the fridge before rolling them out. This will allow the mix to firm up a little and will make it much easier to roll the balls.
- Wet your hands before handling the mix. This will prevent it from sticking and will allow you to easily shape the balls.
- Store your rum balls in an airtight container in the fridge to prevent the rum from evaporating and to ensure they keep their shape.
- Rum balls freeze very well. To freeze, simply add to an airtight container and pop in the freezer until needed. This is also a great way to ensure none of the rum evaporates and that they keep their flavour.
- If you want to make a 'rum-free' version for the kids, try picking up a good quality rum essence. Alternately, give the rum flavour a miss altogether and stick to the chocolate instead.
Biscuit-based Rum Balls
A lighter version of this classic recipe, biscuit-based rum balls are fudgy, lightly flavoured and often bound with a healthy dash of condensed milk. You can coat them in anything you like, from melted chocolate to chocolate sprinkles, desiccated coconut to chopped nuts.
Cake-based Rum Balls
Rum balls made with cake were the first incarnation of these delicious bites, and they're still loved for their rich flavour and fudgy texture. To cut down on the work, try buying a supermarket cake for the mix. Feel free to experiment with the type of cake – fruit cake with give you extra festive flavours, brownies will be incredibly moist and madeira cake will add a subtle lemon zing to the mix.
Rum Balls for kids
Don't let the kids miss out on this treat by swapping out the rum for rum essence. You can also do away with the rum altogether and make these balls with chocolate instead.
