Chocolate Rum Balls

One great recipe, two different centres; rum-soaked cherry, or a luscious rum buttercream. Both are perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients & Amounts

For the chocolate coating:

1½ cups of toasted ground hazelnuts

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate, ground

1 cup of icing sugar

1 tablespoon of premium dark rum

2 tablespoons of pasteurized egg whites

 

For the cherry centres:

18 sour cherries, drained

1 cup of premium dark rum

 

For the rum buttercream filling:

2 hardboiled egg yolks

5 tablespoons of butter, unsalted at room temperature

10 tablespoons of icing sugar

1 tablespoon of premium dark rum

 

For the outside finish:

1 cup of toasted ground hazelnuts

6 ounces of white chocolate, ground

Instructions

Prepare the sour cherries: Place 18 sour cherries in a small bowl. Add rum, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to a week for a more pronounced flavour.

Prepare rum buttercream: Pass the cooked egg yolks through a fine sieve and combine with the butter and sugar. Stir with a spoon until light and fluffy. Add the rum and stir to combine. Transfer filling into a piping bag and pipe small ½” knobs onto a parchment-lined plate. Transfer buttercream into the freezer until the knobs harden.

Prepare chocolate coating: Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir together. Gather mixture together by hand until it has a dough-like consistency. Roll into 1-inch balls, 36 in total.

Prepare rum balls: Flatten a ball of chocolate, put either one cherry or one knob of buttercream in the centre. Form the chocolate around filling until sealed.

Roll in finish: Roll the cherry-filled balls in the ground hazelnuts. Roll the buttercream-filled balls in the white chocolate.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before enjoying so that they’re melt-in-your mouth soft.

Submitted by www.weekendatthecottage.com