Chocolate Rum Balls

This is a recipe I used to make all the time with my mum as a kid...(I don't think she added the rum though)

This recipe makes about 30 bite size balls

Ingredients
2 Cups finely crushed Malt Biscuits
125g Butter
½ Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sultanas 
1 Cup desiccated coconut
½ Cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp rum
Extra coconut for rolling

Method
Again, a really easy one,
Melt the butter and sugar in a pot and allow to boil for a minute to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Then just mix everything together and then into balls with your hands.
Roll them in the extra coconut and allow to cool in the fridge for about an hour or so. 

As a chef, an important part of knowing how to make the best food is knowing why we are doing the things we do. If you are interested in knowing the reason behind anything in this recipe I have gone into a little bit of detail below.

• Malt Buiscuits - They are just yummy and provide the dry base to the recipe. If you prefer you can use wine buiscuits
• Butter - is one of the main sources of moisture and once we allow the balls to set in the fridge it is the butter that sets and gives the balls a firmer texture
• Brown Sugar - has a little bit more of a caramelized flavour to it and adds flavour as well as sweetness
• Sultanas - give the balls a different texture as you are eating them as well as natural sweetness. You could use Rasins if you prefer, just cut them up a little bit as they tend to be bigger than sultanas
• Desiccated coconut - another dry ingredient as well as flavour and texture for the finished balls
• Lemon Juice - brings a bit of freshness and helps cut through the sweetness of these balls. If you choose not to add it, make sure you add some water so that you are able to mix the mixture
• Cocoa - obviously the chocolate component of this recipe.
• Rum - for that indulgent flavour, you can play around with what alcohol you use, but if you want to go without you might need to add water instead so you can mix it up properly 
• Coconut for coating makes a pretty colour contrast and matches the flavours that are already there.
• Boiling butter and sugar - until the sugar has dissolved meat that the distribution of the sugar is done evenly and there's no lumps of sugar floating around.
• Allowing them to cool let's the butter set and the texture firm up a bit 

I hope you enjoy making these yourself and I would love to hear how you went and what you thought!

Enjoy!