. . . but especially for Christmas! I know it is already into May. And I just haven't been blogging, so this never got posted.
Near Christmas last year I had bought two boxes of Vanilla Wafers. I always make Bourbon Balls for Christmas, partly because they are invariably requested, and partly that I love them. But most importantly, they are no bake. Mix, form and store. What a great invention, no-bake cookies!
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| Apricot Coconut Rum Balls (Bourbon Balls top right) |
Why I bought two boxes of Vanilla Wafers is beyond me. The recipe for Bourbon Balls calls for one box. That recipe makes plenty. Since Bourbon Balls use cocoa and bourbon, I wanted to find another no-bake recipe that would use the extra box of cookies without using cocoa. Do you know how difficult it was to find one, single recipe that did not use cocoa? Heavens!
I searched. I specifically wrote no cocoa, or no chocolate in my search. All that came up were recipes using cocoa. I searched for no bake cookies with no mention of cocoa or chocolate. Still, all the recipes had cocoa or chocolate in them.
And then finally, a little Christmas miracle happened. I found this post from Chips and Pepper. Their recipe is, I am sure, perfect. I told my sister about it, noting that the original had no alcohol. She said she would make it that way for her grandkids. It didn't fit all of my criteria, but it was a usable recipe to start. My criteria were:
- No cocoa or chocolate
- Use Vanilla Wafers as the base
- Use dark rum (as opposed to bourbon in the Bourbon Balls) as I have no more small grandchildren ;)
I sat and compared amounts in this recipe to the recipe for Bourbon Balls, to try and formulate a recipe that would accommodate my criteria. I didn't have any orange marmalade or orange juice. Instead I used apricot jam and dark rum. I added cardamom, simply because we all love cardamom in my house. I am sure ginger would be great as a substitute or possibly cinnamon, if one of those spices suit. Or they can be left out entirely. I used dark rum. Other rum can be used interchangeably. Coconut flavor rum would go well with the coconut in the recipe. Spiced rum would enhance the spice aspect. These can be rolled in granulated sugar. I used powdered sugar to distinguish from the Bourbon Balls that I roll in granulated sugar.
I must report that I loved them, as did everyone else who tried them. My husband and I both have loved the Bourbon Balls all through our 35 years together, but we conceded that these might just be a new favorite! So I give all my thanks to Chips and Pepper for the great idea I used!
Apricot Coconut Rum Balls
1 (12-ounce) box Vanilla Wafers, crushed to fine crumbs
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely ground pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup fine shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup apricot jam
6 tablespoons dark rum
Powdered sugar, for rolling
Place the first five ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine all ingredients.
Separately in a small bowl or a large measuring cup, combine the apricot jam and dark rum. If any pieces of apricot are large, cut them very small, else it makes for difficult rolling later.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and thoroughly mix until all ingredients are well moistened. Form small balls, rolling them tightly, then roll in the powdered sugar. Store in a container. At room temperature, they will be very soft. They are best kept either refrigerated or frozen. This makes having them done way ahead of time a snap. They that in no time once set out at room temperature.
NOTES:
- Nuts used are interchangeable
- Cardamom can be switched out for another spice, or left out
- Apricot jam may be substituted with orange marmalade or peach jam
- Dark rum may be substituted with other flavors of rum or another dry liquor of choice. It may be left out and substituted with orange juice, if preferred.
