Alex’s Spiced Rum Balls

Every year at Christmas, I make Alex’s Spiced Rum Balls.  Alex is a wonderful cook and he grew up in the kitchen with his nonna and me.  He especially loves to create pasta.  We will share some of his techniques and recipes in a few posts.  He also spent a lot of time with his granny Erika. This is Granny’s recipe but I named this version after my son Alex who loves spiced rum. My father-in-law Joe would always sneak in a bit more rum when she made the recipe.   I tweaked this version for Alex because he loves Spiced Rum.

The best main ingredients for these cookies.

The dough comes together beautifully and it is not sticky.

Now roll them in the sugar.

A lot of good cheer!!

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Alex's Spiced Rum Balls

Every year at Christmas, I make Alex’s Spiced Rum Balls. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Alex's Spiced Rum Balls

Prep Time 30 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers the package
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts sometimes I use pecans
• 4 tbsp dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup spiced rum plus 2 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 4 tbsp white sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Crush vanilla wafers ( I use a food processor, but a rolling-pin and a plastic bag will work)

   Add the confectioners’ sugar, nuts and cocoa to the crumbs. Add spices.  

   Add corn syrup and rum. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

   Use a 1/2 a tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough. You might want to have a small bowl of water to wet your hands and roll, but this dough is fabulous. It doesn’t stick to your hands.

   Roll the dough into balls and roll them in the sugar.

   Place the shaped dough on pans lined with wax paper.

   Instead of the sugar, you can roll the balls in chopped nuts.

   Put them in the refrigerator for two hours and then in air tight containers and freeze them.

   Take out as needed, but beware they are perhaps, even better as frozen treats.

ItAlian Christmas Cookies

These Italian Christmas Cookies  were originally used as wedding cookies.   I have tweaked this recipe over the years, but the one constant is the use of a liqueur.  I like to use Sambucca because some Italians use Anisette. (Your choice here)

I start by placing the butter or margarine ( I prefer margarine) in a mixing bowl.  I beat this for a minute and then add 1/2  cup of white sugar and 1/2  cup of icing sugar.   I then add the eggs one at a time.  Follow with the flour and baking powder.  Now add 1 tbsp of the liqueur of your choice.

I put the dough on a lightly floured surface and I knead it a few times and roll it into a ball.  It should be light, fluffy and not sticky.  I split the dough in half because half this dough will be transformed into candy cane cookies. After you split your dough in two, take one piece and split it again in half.  Use a couple of drops of red food colouring for one and green for the other. These Italian Christmas cookies have two of the colours of the Italian flag. 🙂

I cut small chunks.

I roll these chunks out.  They should be about as long as you baby finger; mine is small so you can see that it is a bit longer.

I take two pieces of the dough and twist them together.

I make a little hook, and here is my Italian candy cane.

They take about 15 minutes in the oven.  Place on a wire rack and cool.  You can make your own icing, but I take a little shortcut.  I take a vanilla store- bought icing and I add a tablespoon of liqueur.  This thins it out and I ice them and add sprinkles.   You can freeze them without icing.

I like to leave the candy cane ones without icing.

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Italian Christmas Cookies

These Italian Christmas cookies were originally used as wedding cookies.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cup butter or margarine personal preference
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar icing sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp Sambucca or Anisette personal prefrence
• 3 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

   Beat the butter for about a minute.  I use the paddle on my mixmaster.

   Add both sugars.

   Add eggs one at a time.

   Mix flour and baking powder and add to wet ingredients.

   Beat on medium until it comes together.

   Turn onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times.

   Divide dough into two.

   Take the first half and make small logs.  Intertwine two logs together pinching both ends.

   Take the second half of the dough and divide in two.  Add red food colouring to one part and green to the other part.

   Make logs and put together one red and one green. Intertwine and make hooks to look like candy canes.

   Put on parchment paper lined cookie pans and cook for 15 minutes.

   Remove cookies and cool on racks before icing or freezing.