Baking with Booze Part 1: Rum Balls

My Grandma always used to make whiskey balls for the adults for Christmas. When my brother and I were younger we tasted them out of curiosity, but at the ages of 6 and 8, respectively, we were ultimately repulsed by their spicy, slightly boozy nature. Even in my adult life, I don't like whiskey anything, but I was compelled to resurrect Grandma's tradition for some reason, perhaps because for some reason the holidays always inspire me to cook or bake with booze. I couldn't find her recipe, but my mom referred me to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" cookbook which has a fabulous Whiskey Ball recipe. I followed the recipe to a T the first time, but this only reaffirmed my dislike for whiskey.  So I gave the balls to my dad and decided to try again, this time using rum and modifying some other components of the recipe.  The result is below.  These balls are a quick, no bake, crowd-pleasing treat.  Even my fiance who doesn't consume liquor thinks they're delicious!

Rum Balls* - (Preparation time: 25 minutes; Yields:  approx. 24 balls)

Ingredients:
1 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. pecans, chopped (optional)
1 c. confectioners (powdered) sugar
2 heaping Tbsp. of Hershey's cocoa powder
1/3 c. of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
1 tbsp. white Karo syrup

Directions:
1.  Crush vanilla wafers until you have 1 c. of crumbs.  (see Tips #1 and #2 below)
2.  Finely chop 1 c. of walnuts
3.  Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, walnuts, pecans, cocoa and confectioners sugar.  Blend thoroughly.
4.  Add the rum and Karo syrup.
5.  Mix well and form in to 1/2-1 inch wide balls
6.  Roll the balls in powdered sugar and store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

*A few tips before you start:
1.  Don't buy generic vanilla wafers. The difference in taste compared to the original "Nilla" wafer is apparent.
2.  If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, and you have the slicer attachment, use the smallest serrated insert which will grind the wafers and nuts nicely (and save you a lot of work!).
3.  Be generous with the booze.  I use Captain Morgan's Spiced rum.
4.  When rolling the balls scrape your hands with a spatula or wash them halfway through the batch otherwise the balls get sticky and gooey and lose their smooth texture.
5.  For best results, make 2 weeks ahead of when you plan to serve to give the balls time to age.  If you don't have two weeks, at least make them a couple of days before so they have time to firm up.

Gobble Gobble! Turkey Cookies!

Gotcha, didn't I?  They are turkey cookies, but they are not made with turkey.  These sugar cookies are a hallmark contribution of mine to Thanksgiving dinners past, present and future.  You may be wondering why I didn't highlight a pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll or pumpkin cookie recipe as my Thanksgiving post.  I'll tell you why:  because everyone makes or writes about those.  Yes, pumpkin this and that deserves a proper place at the Thanksgiving table, but sometimes it's just too much.  Pumpkin pie is a great, timeless staple.  Pumpkin rolls nauseate me because they're a dense lump of fat upon fat, and I can practically hear my arteries closing while I'm eating it (PS that's a challenge to those of you reading this...comment with a pumpkin roll recipe that's light and I'll try it out and publish it here if it lives up to the hype).  Pumpkin cookies are a refreshing change of pace, but sometimes it's nice to see something that's not orange or brown on the dessert table. Cue my Turkey Cookies!


These cookies are always a crowd pleaser, they're festive, they're tasty, they keep well, and they make for a great host/hostess gift should you need one. Make sure you set aside plenty of time though as the dough needs to chill for a few hours before baking. I usually make the dough the night before or early in the day and then bake them that evening.