Today marks the last day of our 24 days of togetherness. It’s been so fun and Jesse and I will definitely do it again next year. I filled you in last week through day 16, but here’s what was chosen for our remaining days (minus today):
Day 17: Watch Scrooged
Day 18: Partner smash, 5 minutes each (by “smash,” we mean myofascial release)
Day 19: Go out for a cocktail
Day 20: Share the top 3 things you want for Christmas (idea was to think BIG!)
Day 21: Go see Pioneer Square tree lights
Day 22: Go to the movies (again!)
Day 23: Go on an urban hike (we had to save it for today, so we’re hiking around nearby neighborhoods later to look at Christmas lights)
Day 24: TBD…I’m at work and it’s Jesse’s turn to pick! I won’t know until later.
Anyway, as I mentioned last week, we made paleo rum balls for day seven of our little game. I promised I would share the recipe, so here you have it. It may or may not be too late to make these for Christmas, but there’s always New Year’s! This was my first attempt at making rum balls of any sort and I think it was my first time tasting some too. Jesse and I both enjoyed the strong rum flavor and slight sweetness. The rum definitely stands out, especially since these don’t bake at all (and really, rum balls shouldn’t be baked). I even thought about renaming these boozy balls instead!
Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!
UPDATE: watch the replay of me HERE making these on live TV from December 16, 2016 on KATU Afternoon Live here in Portland!
Adapted from this recipe.
No-Bake Rum Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour (I like this brand)
- Heaping 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Dash of sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 1/4 cup gold rum (sometimes also called amber rum)
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2-3 Tbsp raw honey or more to taste
- Extra unsweetened shredded coconut or cocoa/cacao powder for rolling, optional
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor. Puree and blend everything into a thick, soft mixture.
- Roll into tablespoon-sized balls. Note, the oil from the rum balls will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.
- Dust finished balls with shredded coconut or extra cocoa powder, if desired. Place on a plate and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Yields: ~20 balls
I never actually need a special occasion for chocolate, and luckily I like it super dark and not too sweet so these look perfect! I have made various mixtures of nut balls but never thought to flavor them with rum–great idea! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks, Paula. Enjoy these special treats, whenever you choose to make them! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
I made these today for a New Years’ party (two of them, actually)! http://instagram.com/p/imlXSLyZz4/ I’ve literally kept this blog post in my email inbox since you posted it until now, because I really wanted to make them for this party! Thanks for the recipe. They are absolutely amazing. I may have snuck two or three (or four) already while making them.
I hope the rum balls went over well at the party! At the very least, I’m glad you enjoyed them 🙂 Thanks for trying out the recipe and happy New Year!
Can I use 1 cup vanilla wafers in place of the flour?
I can’t guarantee that the recipe will turn out correctly and I don’t really recommend it (especially since vanilla wafers are highly processed and sugary), but you can try if you really want to. Of course, it will no longer be grain-free, but if that’s not a concern then I guess it doesn’t matter. If you have almonds (whole, slivered or sliced) at home, you could also grind up a cup in the food processor (grind into a course meal/flour).
Ok! Thanks! I’ll just buy some almond flour and stick to your recipe! Then I don’t have to listen to the blender! Lol
Good call! Hope you like the recipe.
I’m sure to love it!!
I try my hardest to convert all my recipes to a clean-eating one!
Can I use rum essence instead of run can u tell me what measurement
I’m sure you could, but I’ve never done so before. I’m not sure how much because I’ve never used rum essence before, so you’d have to experiment with it. These are no-bake though, so you could always taste the dough as you add it and then add more if you like. Again, I have no experience with rum essence/extract, but I’d maybe start with 2 tsp and if it’s not to your liking, try adding one more teaspoon (for a total of 1 Tbsp). Adjust from there as needed. Anyway, hope that helps! Good luck!