Rum Balls (Rumové Guľky)
Ingredients: 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups ground walnuts, 1 yolk, shot of rum, chocolate shavings, crystal sugar, coconut shavings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Rumové Guľky (small rum balls) is a very popular Christmas desert. These treats will be included on any holiday table along with a wide assortment of other pastries. The great thing about this particular sweet is that it is extremely easy to make. It requires no baking and you can make it literally in under 20 minutes. This was another dish I brought in to the Sv. Mikuláš party, along with the 100-person sauerkraut soup.
Combine two cups of powdered sugar (práškový cukor) and two cups of ground walnuts (mleté orechy, “home made” in a food processor).
Add a yolk (žĺtok) and a shot of rum (štamprlík rumu). Or, in my case, a shot of Scotch whiskey, since I didn’t have any rum. Mix together using a wooden spoon. I started mixing with my hands but this was a bad idea. The starting mixture is extremely sticky!
Grate chocolate (čokoláda) and mix with crystal sugar (kryštálový cukor). I used semi-sweet baking chocolate, and I shredded it using my food grater. I also waited a while before forming the balls. This is because I wanted to eat my breakfast of scrambled eggs before they got cold. However, I think that by waiting a bit, the dough has gotten less sticky and easier to work with. Simply take out a piece of the nut mixture and roll it into a nice small sphere.
Cover in the chocolate/sugar mixture, or cover in coconut (kokos) shredding. Place in a paper basket.
And that’s it. They tasted great, despite being made with whiskey instead of rum. For another great sweet treat, checkout the recipe for plum dumplings.
Have you tried making these “rum” balls? What do you think? Also, do you have a recipe for a different variation? Please post and share with others.
You can dip them also in ground walnuts.
Do these need to be kept in fridge because of egg yolk?
we never did, though they were usually gone in a few days, no chance to get spoiled 🙂
we never did (put them in a fridge), though they were usually gone in a few days, no chance to get spoiled 🙂
I used to make these when I was a kid…but my question is: has any one had probs with the raw egg yolk? My mother used to tell me that the rum ‘cooked’ the yolk, but I’m not so sure. Perhaps organic eggs would be safer?
Stephanie,
Here is couple internet posts on the topic of eating and pasteurizing raw eggs:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/EggPasturization.htm
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/raw-eggs.htm
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96122842.tip.html
http://www.christonium.com/culinaryreview/How_To_Make_Pasteurized_Eggs_Cooking_With_Raw_Eggs
My feeling about this is, yes, the risk of salmonella is there, but it’s fairly small. But I do believe that if you can, buying eggs from a local, organic-type farmer is the best thing to do. Not only do the eggs have a smaller chance of being cross-contaminated, you are also supporting local industry. And on top of that, you are supporting a farmer who raises chickens in a more humane way. Of course, saying this and actually finding a place to buy mom-and-pop eggs are two different things. I buy all my eggs in the grocery store, as it’s so much more convenient. But I at least try to buy cage-free eggs. Seeing those images of chickens shoved into pens with no room to move would definitely give my grandma a heart attack.
And remember, some people actually like to DRINK raw eggs. Here is an excellent article on this topic:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/drinking-raw-eggs/
This article goes into length describing the risk of salmonella poisoning, also suggests that washing the shells before using the egg reduces the risk somewhat.
My final word of advice here is that you should eat these rum balls right after making. But as they are really delicious, this is never an issue…
I give up twice I ws knocked out by internet “gods”
Don’y worry about rw egg yolks, and organic will not do any better when it comes to health/food poisoning
I worked in R&D area of that kind. I stop before I get knocked off again
Geez, let me at least fix some spelling due to my sticky keyboard, related mostly to “a”:
I gave up twice as I was knocked out by internet “gods”
Don’t worry about raw egg yolks, and organic will not do any better when it comes to health/food poisoning
I worked in R&D area of that kind. I stop before I get knocked off again
In my family we make rum balls out of edges from different cakes, or cakes that didn’t turn out right. To the cake pieces adding nuts, butter, rum, cocoa powder. Put canned sour cherry(in rum) in the middle and rolled it in ground nuts, coconut or chocholate mixture like “granko”
Hi, you don’t have to add egg yolk! There are many recipes how to make rum balls with different ingredients.
My mom makes the rum balls with sponge cake, we crumble it up and sprinkle rum and vodka, cocoa, ground walnuts, rasberry syrup. Then she forms the balls and puts a cherry in the middle. Rolls the rum balls in ground walnuts, or coconut. Velmy Dobre!
I lost my recipe that’s why I’m on here looking for one;but I used to make a date,fig,graham crackers & nuts with brandy rolled in powderd sugar and with no eggs they were great!
I am interested in finding out how do you grind the nuts in a food processor ( what type of processor, what speed, how long). My mom always brings ground nuts form Slovakia when she visits, and says they’re not the same the way they come from processor versus grinding them manually in the old fashion nut grinder ( the kind you clamp to the table)
Hi Katka, I don’t remember how I ground them here, but I agree with you. You really need to use a nut grinder. This recipe may have been made before I bought mine. The clamp-down style nut grinder will crush the grains into a smooth oily paste. The grinder will give dry nut “gravel”.
Thanks so much for making these recipes available. My husband (now x) used to make so many great Christmas cookies. He didn’t have a Rum Ball recipe but I remember he used ground up vanilla wafers, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, egg, ground walnuts and since there were no children…plenty of rum as well as café licor. He made them to our taste. Also he would roll some in coconut.They were wonderful!
My grandmother used to make a Christmas dessert similar to the Rum Balls. She started with a sponge sheet cake, which she cut into small pieces and then soaked in rum. She added ground walnuts to the mix, formed a small ball and then poured chocolate over to cover the ball. Do you have a recipe for something like this?
I need to know how to store the rum balls after they are made. Would like to make them for my grandsons wedding but will they travel well for 2 days by car?