CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

Chocolate cake rum balls are an absolute delight and so so easy to make and a best use of your leftover cake shavings. A very versatile recipe which will come together in just minutes with the ingredients you have at hand in your pantry.

I make lot of boutique and sculpted cakes for weddings, birthdays and special occasions but often you are left with lots of cake shaving leftovers from designing or leveling your wedding cakes. Found the best solution by converting these shavings into much more decadent and interesting dessert to serve. I save these shaving tightly wrapped up in the freezer and make use of them for many different recipes later as and when needed.

These chocolate rum balls are the result of those preserved cake shavings and are so so delicious that you can fix up a decadent and enticing dessert to impress your friends and family within no time. This time I wanted to experiment with different flavours so I made pistachio as well as cocoa dusted Truffle Rum Balls. Don't they look amazing?? Couldn't keep my hands off of them and stop myself at just one. Do give it a try and leave the comments below after trying out this recipe at home. I would be really delighted to hear your comments below. Happing Baking!

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

ASSEMBLY TIME: 20-25 minutes

MAKES: 25-30

INGREDIENTS

1kg chocolate cake crumbs
1/4 cup maple syrup
50g dried cherries, finely chopped
150g chopped nuts,(I used pistachios, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts)
90 ml rum
1 orange, zested

For coating:

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup pistachio nuts

METHOD

In a food processor, pulse the cake and make the crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add maple syrup, cranberries, nuts, rum and orange zest. Mix them all together and stick it in the fridge for 2 hours.
Now using the small ice-cream scoop, make the balls slightly smaller than the golf balls.
Blitz the pistachios into a grinder to a crumb.
Roll the balls into pistachio crumbs or cocoa powder and serve.

COOK'S NOTES

I made this recipe with leftover cake shavings. But to make these you can use a store bought chocolate cake or make your own to make these rum balls.
Run can also be replaced with another liqueur of your choice to make it boozy.
Skip the alcohol to make it for children or adults who do not consume alcohol. Infuse with orange juice instead.
Any nuts you have in your pantry like almonds, cashews, walnuts etc.or dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, prunes or candied peels can be added instead of the nuts and fruits mentioned in the recipe.
You can also roll the balls in desiccated coconut or toasted sesame seeds or walnut crumb as a variation.
These can stay fresh until a week in refrigerator.