Rum balls

As my first blog post here I thought I’d start with one of my most beloved dessert recipes of all time. There is something about the chocolate, coconut and rum combination that actually give me the motivation to go to the gym so that later I would allow myself one or three of these little wonders. Three, it is most definitely three. I am not sure when they became popular or what is their history but here in Australia they always appear around Christmas time in shops and cafes. In Latvia (which is where I’m from) they are available all year around though are made without rum and often can have copped nuts in it. Back home we call them ,,Little potatoes”, which, if you are aware of our (as a nation) external love for potatoes, will know how loved they are, at least in my eyes.

I didn’t learn to cook nor bake before I was 21 and started living together with my boyfriend - that poor man. So sadly this recipe is a adaptation of Joy of Baking chocolate cupcake recipe instead of beloved hand-me-down but you can always start a new tradition yourself, eh? I just tweaked it a little to make it taste more like the rum balls that I remember.

Rum balls

for the cake
50 grams of cocoa powder
pinch of salt
150 grams plain flour
25 grams almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bi-carb soda
115 grams butter, room temperature
180 grams brown sugar
2 tsp vanila extract
2 eggs + 1 yolk

for the rum balls
500 grams of the chocolate cake
50 grams almond flour
3 ½ tbsp rum (or to taste)
30 grams cocoa powder
desiccated coconut for coating

Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan).

Mix together cocoa powder with pinch of salt and 240 ml of boiling water and set aside to cool. In a bowl mix together both flours with baking powder and soda and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together butter with brown sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy, then one at a time add the eggs and yolk. Next add 1/3 of the dry mixture and mix in, then 1/2 of cocoa mixture. Repeat until all is used. Pour the batter in a 20 x 20 cm large greased cake tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until done. Cool completely.

Fluff/break the cake into small pieces with your hands, then mix in the rest of the ingredients for the rum balls. Take a small portion of it and shape it in to small ball, repeat with rest of the cake mix. Roll the balls in desiccated coconut and put it in a airtight container overnight. On the day you make the balls, it might feel like you added a little to much of the rum, but by letting it sit overnight some of it will evaporate and it will be just right. Then again I like alcoholic desserts - so what do you I know. :) The rum balls will keep for about a week.

Bon Appétit,
Līga