Ponderosa...At Home

What better way to welcome the new year than with a sweet recipe that everyone will love—and one that pairs well with champagne!

Rum Balls

Served chilled, these balls are formed when a batch of brownies is broken into bits, flavored with dark rum, and rolled.

YIELD: MAKES 4 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS

  • Vegetable oil, cooking spray
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup packed of light-brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt
  • 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dark rum
  • Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture and fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake about 10 minutes, until top is shiny and a cake tester, inserted into center, comes out with some crumbs attached. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.

4. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours, until cold. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Have a happy New Year!

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