Conference turris::cooks

     Does anyone have recipes for these:
    
    		*  Rum balls
    		*  Rum cakes
    
    thanks!
    
    -Don-

	Try these - there's not alot of liquor in them, but I usually add
	more anyway. They can be pretty potent!



			     SOUTHERN RUM BALLS
			     ------------------

   Ingredients:

	3 cups       finely crushed vanilla wafers (aprox. 1 box)
	1 cup        powdered sugar
      1/2 cup	     chopped pecans
	3 Tbs	     white Karo syrup
    1-1/2 Tbs	     cocoa
	6 Tbs	     rum (can substitute with bourbon and whiskey too)


   Directions:

	Mix all ingredients. Form into small balls. If balls crumble, add a
	few "extra drops" of liquor to mixture.

	Roll in powdered sugar and store in an airtight container for about 
	one week to "ripen"

    There's a delicious sounding Bourbon Ball recipe in the Chocolate
    conference, note #131.1.  I just saw it the other day and printed
    it with hopes to try it out very soon!
    
    

	This is a recipe I got from my 'Digital Momma'. This recipe 
	comes all the way from Water Valley, Mississippi. Let me tell
	you...these *are* addictive.....

			BOURBON/WHISKEY SOUTHERN BALLS
			------------------------------

   Ingredients:

	3 cups       finely crushed vanilla wafers (aprox. 1 box)
	1 cup        powdered sugar
      1/2 cup	     chopped pecans
	3 Tbs	     white Karo syrup
    1-1/2 Tbs	     cocoa
	6 Tbs	     bourbon,whiskey or rum


   Directions:

	Mix all ingredients. Form into small balls. If balls crumble, add a
	few "extra drops" of liquor to mixture.

	Roll in powdered sugar and store in an airtight container for about 
	one week to "ripen"

           <<< SKINUT::USER$DISK_1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]CHOCOLATE.NOTE;2 >>>
                             -< Chocolate Lovers >-
================================================================================
Note 131.1                   bourbon brownies/balls?                      1 of 1
HUMOR::EPPES "Make 'em laugh"                        35 lines   6-JUN-1988 20:18
                   -< Ghirardelli recipe for bourbon balls >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

			BROADWAY BOURBON BALLS

    1 cup (6 oz.) Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips*
    2 tbsp light corn syrup
    1/2 cup bourbon
    2-1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
    1 cup finely chopped walnuts
    1/2 cup powdered sugar
    1/2 tbsp sugar
    1 tbsp Ghirardelli ground chocolate*

    In double boiler, melt chocolate with corn syrup and bourbon over
    1 inch simmering water.  Stir in wafers, nuts, and powdered sugar.
    Shape into balls, using one tablespoon each.  Roll balls in mixture
    of sugar and Ground Chocolate.  Age overnight.  Store in tightly
    covered can.  Keeps several weeks.  Makes 40 balls.

    *This recipe comes from the Ghirardelli Original Chocolate Cookbook
    (third edition), and so naturally calls for Ghirardelli chocolate.
    I made it with Nestle's chocolate chips, and used Hershey's cocoa
    instead of the ground chocolate, and the bourbon balls came out fine,
    although next time I might use something like Nestle's Quik instead
    of the Hershey's Cocoa (which is unsweetened).  The cookbook describes
    Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate as "a special dry chocolate mix containing
    sugar and vanilla flavoring."  It also says "Do not substitute any
    other product for Ground Chocolate in recipes in this book" but then,
    it *would* say that...!  Someday I may try to get hold of some Ground
    Chocolate to see whether it makes that much difference.  (You can order
    Ghirardelli chocolate through the mail.)

    This is an easy recipe (especially if you use a food processor or
    blender to chop up the vanilla wafers and walnuts), and boy, are the
    bourbon balls *potent*...!

							-- Nina

One change to previous recipe....pecans instead of walnuts.  Also, please use
ground chocolate - it ain't cocoa and does make a difference.  You should
be able to order it from Gheradelli in San Francisco (I think). 

Use premium dark rum for variety.

RE Note 1205.4 by SKITZD::WILDE --

> One change to previous recipe....pecans instead of walnuts.

I assume you're suggesting rather than correcting -- the recipe in the book
does say walnuts.

> Also, please use ground chocolate - it ain't cocoa and does make a difference.

What, you got stock in Ghirardelli or something?  :-)

> You should be able to order it from Gheradelli in San Francisco (I think). 

I said so in my note, in the last sentence of the next-to-last paragraph:
"(You can order Ghirardelli chocolate through the mail.)"
                ^^^^^^^^^^^
              [note spelling]

I'll post the Ghirardelli address (don't have it with me at the moment). 


							-- Nina

The pecans were in the version of the recipe I got from a friend's father.
All variations on recipes ARE SUGGESTIONS, implicit if not explicit....
there are no "recipe police" to arrest ya if you change 
something...or are there???

Re: address - please do post it.  I merely entered the city as a general
pointer to where someone might start looking if they could not find the
ground chocolate in stores....knowing the name of the vendor does not
necessarily help, if the city where they are is not known...even in
San Jose, California, I have only seen the stuff sold in two markets
here...and not all the time - it's hard to find.

Re: spelling - I never said I could spell....that's why they make spell
checker programs!

    RE Note 1205.6 by TRILGY::WILDE 

> All variations on recipes ARE SUGGESTIONS, implicit if not explicit....

    Okay, I just wanted to make sure.  Being a technical writer, I'm kind
    of sensitive to the way things sound (read?), and your suggestion
    sounded a little more like a correction.  I'm just picky...  :-)

    Here's the mail-order address and phone number for Ghirardelli
    chocolate:

		Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.
		1111 139th Avenue
		San Leandro, CA  94578

		1-800-227-1817  (M-F 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm Pacific
				 Standard Time)

    They accept Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.

    Customer service number is (415)483-6970 (*not* toll-free), M-F 8:30am
    to 4:30pm Pacific Standard Time.

    Note:  the form in the book says "**Chocolate cannot be shipped during
    hot weather months.**"  Inside the back cover, it says "Sorry, no
    chocolate bars can be shipped from May through September."  Seems like
    you'd still be able to get the ground chocolate.
    

    I was at the Pheasant Lane Mall (Nashua, NH) recently and checked
    out the "gourmet" store next to the food court (can't remember the
    name--argh).  They had a number of orange tins of Ghirardelli Ground
    Chocolate.  I believe it was sweet variety, even though it also had the
    word cocoa on the label.  Might be worth checking out...
    
    Sue

    How long do bourbon balls keep?   The recipes say to store them for
    a week in an airtight container to let them "mellow", but how long
    will they keep after that?   I want to make some for Christmas but
    would like to make them as early as possible since I always have
    so much going on during the month of December!!! Thanks.  Lila
    
    

    Lila,
       I always make rum balls for Christmas and generally make them the
    day after Thanksgiving (anything to avoid going out that day!). This
    year I made them last weekend. The flavors just barely begin to mellow
    after a week, I'd say at least a month would be better. I actually
    still have some from last year and they are still good. Apparently the
    alcohol keeps them from going bad. They start to lose their potency
    after about 6 months or so.
    
    Debbie
    

    Thanks so much for your reply!   Lila
    

    I'd like to make these for Christmas too!  I'll try the recipe in .2 if
    someone can help me out with these two questions:
    
    Can someone help with a UK translation of white Karo syrup please? 
    What would an easy-to-find english substitute be?
    
    Also - I assume that powdered sugar = icing sugar - ?
    
    Thanks,
    Jane.

    Karo is a brand name for corn syrup.  It is available as a  clear (or
    white) liquid or as a molasses-colored liquid.
    
    Powdered sugar is also called confectioner's sugar here.  I think it is
    the same as your icing sugar.  It's fluffy white powder as opposed to
    the grainy or sandy sugar you would put in your tea.
    
    Helpfully,
    Michelle

    
    Sounds like Golden Syrup would be our nearest equivalent (?)

    yup.
    
    don't know what they taste like with corn syrup, but with T&L Golden
    Syrup they are yummy!
    
    Thanks,
    Jane.