RUM BALLS 3WAYS :RUM & RAISIN , MANGO & COCONUT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups finely chopped & toasted pecans (or other nut of your choice)

1 1/4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafer cookies

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Dutch processed or regular unsweetened)

1/4 cup rum

2 tablespoons light corn syrup (or honey)

RUM & RAISIN VERSION:

3/4 cup raisins (dark or golden)

1/4 cup rum

MANGO & COCONUT VERSION:

3/4 cup chopped dried mango

1 cup shredded or AngelFlake coconut

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE VERSION:

4 ounces chopped chocolate (bittersweet, semi-sweet or dark)

1 teaspoon butter

1 1/2 ounces chopped white chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Toast the nuts in a large frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching.  (Nuts should be lightly browned and will start to smell like they are toasting.) 

Allow to cool in a large bowl, and either chop on your own into very small pieces, or pulse in a food processor. 

Return to the bowl. Process the cookies in a food processor into fine crumbs, and then add to nut mixture. 

Stir in sugar and cocoa powder until combined, and then stir in rum and corn syrup.  Add extra rum if necessary to combine ingredients.

RUM & RAISIN VERSION: 
soak raisins in extra 1/4 cup of rum for at least 10 minutes, then stir into mixture at end of

step 2.  Chill mixture before scooping into balls about the size of an inch (about a tablespoon); roll in your choice of cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, or finely chopped nuts. 

MANGO & COCONUT VERSION:  
stir chopped mangos and 1/4 cup of coconut into mixture at end of step 2 (adding more rum to loosen texture of mix if necessary). 

Chill mixture before scooping into balls about the size of an inch (about a tablespoon); roll in remaining coconut to coat- press to adhere to balls.  

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE:  make as above in steps 1 & 2, and chill mixture before scooping into balls about the size of an inch (about a tablespoon). 

Melt chocolate with butter in a microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval. 

Dip balls into melted chocolate (using two forks to cradle the rum balls) and allow excess chocolate to drip off before placing on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet. 

Allow to cool, and then drizzle with melted white chocolate.