Chocolate Rum Balls

When I think of the Holiday season, I can almost smell the spices wafting in the air from all of the baked goods we know and love during this time of the year. From gingerbread cakes and cookies to gingerbread houses, pumpkin pies, or swiss type pumpkin rolls filled with cream or even pumpkin cookies to the more traditional English mince meat (chopped nut) pies and fruitcakes that I grew up with in Australia.

But, here in the USA, the Holidays would not be the same without some of the more traditional chocolate items. One of the more common items that are made on a grand scale commercially by many different companies are chocolate rum balls. Bakers and Pastry Chefs around the world always carry the challenge of coming up with unique and delicious ways to use up cake trimmings and other bits of leftover products which is how rum balls came to be. I can honestly say that these are one of the more delicious afterthoughts I have ever encountered.

I was introduced to chocolate rum balls for the first time during the Holidays many years ago, but don’t think for a minute that these are not something you can’t make throughout the year!

I have made many different flavors of rum balls, many of which didn’t even include rum. My favorite flavor combination is actually raspberry with some Grand Marnier…but anything goes.

I have seen them in both vanilla and chocolate, sometimes made with leftover Italian buttercream and sometimes with chocolate ganache. I have also seen them in different sizes, from the bite size scoops that are perfect for catered events to a larger scoop which can be served as an individually plated dessert with ice cream, crème anglais or a fruit sauce of your choice.

Don’t feel that you need to stick to one flavor profile, go ahead and experiment with your favorite flavor combination. I guarantee that you will love them as much as I do, and that they will be something you will make all the time…they are truly perfect for any event.

Quick Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream, heated in microwave

2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

First, make the quick chocolate ganache by heating the cream in the microwave for a few minutes until it is hot. Add the chocolate chips a little at a time and stir it until they have all been incorporated and melted. You may have to put it into the microwave a few more times to melt it all completely…but do it for small increments of 1-2 minutes so that the chocolate does not burn. Once it has all melted, add the rum, stir well and set aside.

Chocolate Rum Balls (makes 1 dozen 3 oz pieces)

1- 10” chocolate cake, crumbled

1 ½ – 2 cups quick chocolate ganache

¼ cup Meyers Rum (the best to use for pastry, but any will do)

2 cups melted semisweet chocolate for dipping

Crumble the cake into a medium sized bowl and add enough ganache to just bring the mixture together to look like this…it should NOT be runny because it will be difficult to scoop.

Begin scooping the balls out onto a paper lined tray, cover and freeze.

When you are ready to dip them, either temper (and not just melt) your chocolate, or use a really good tasting non tempering chocolate like Prima Coating, which is sold in large 10 lb blocks. You just chop up however much you need and heat in the microwave…it has a really great thin consistency for dipping and drizzling over desserts.

Add the melted chocolate to a small bowl and place the rum ball in face down. Then quickly turn upright with a tool or flat bottomed spatula (I used one of my chocolate dipping tools). Tap the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate and place each piece onto another paper lined tray.

Whether you are using tempered or non tempered chocolate, these will set up very quickly because they have been frozen, so make sure to do this quickly. When you have finished dipping all of them, use a fork to drizzle on more chocolate for decoration. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.