Decadent Creamy Rum Balls

I sit here with a large glass of green smoothie. It's chlorophyll packed, vitamin packaged and nutritious, to counteract a week of indulgent eating in Melbourne. Alright, one smoothie isn't going to cut it, but these drinks are becoming a regular, and I feel good! I'll tell you what else feels really good-belly laughs. Yes, I had a really good one the other night. It concerned coming home to my little family after my "annual leave" to hear my 5 year old son talk repeatedly of these great "chocolate energy balls" that daddy put in his lunchbox. There was talk of how there were a few left over for other lunches. Chocolate energy balls this, chocolate energy balls that.
Thinking Dad must have bought some new fandangled treat when he went shopping, I thought little more of it-until I saw a few remaining energy balls in the refrigerator on a late night raid.
Chocolate energy balls.
Laced with good, and I mean, very good, lashings of Mount Gay Rum. Not chocolate energy balls, but adult only style rum balls.
All of a sudden I envisioned my son at school writing his letters a little less than precise, reeking of Mount Gay Rum. Fumes on the breath. Teacher's eyes bulging a little at the recognition of the scent of liquor surrounding a kiddo in her class.
No wonder they were so good.
Before I left for Melbourne I made my hubby some of these delicious adult treats, but I fear the Tupperware slice container made them look rather child friendly and fooled him. I mean, there's not so much rum in them to affect a kid, but still, it make me cackle wildly in the dead of night.
Next time he requests those "chocolate energy balls" for his lunchbox, I'll be holding off on the booze!
I took a container of these "energy balls" on the plane with me to Melbourne to give to my mum as a gift. I got stranded for a good few hours at a train station in the city and, not having eaten for about 8 hours, retrieved them from my bag and started on my lunch of decadent creamy rum balls. While I indulged, I watched a man scrounge through a garbage bin and thought about offering him a few. Then I was distracted in that moment by a woman sitting in a cafe. She started vomiting all over the cafe table-violent vomiting. The man ran away from the bin in a screaming rage at an invisible person.
Eventful and random morning. I continued eating through the box of rum balls-feeling very fortunate all of a sudden. Sorry Mum.
This recipe comes from my good friend Ursula, and they are her specialty. She made me a lovely gift box full of them for me at Christmas, and I knew I had to get her to share the recipe with me. They are so delicious-definitely not your average rum balls. The Secret I think is in the addition of butter. They are creamy! Decadently creamy, chocolatey and rummy. Moorish.

URSULA'S DECADENT CREAMY RUM BALLS

2 cups icing sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp good quality rum
2 tbsp vanilla extract/essence
125g melted butter

Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Add the rum, vanilla and melted butter to the dry mixture. Combine thoroughly. Roll into bite sized balls and refrigerate until ready to consume.

NOTE: if the mixture is a little too dry and the balls do not hold together well, add a tiny little bit of water or rum until the texture is corrected.

Dark Chocolate Ganache and Coconut Tart

Being in Australia, I missed out on all the foodie enjoyment associated with Thanksgiving-but that didn't stop me from making pie! I believe it's a Martha Stewart creation originally- and so simple, delicious and gluten free just as an added bonus. I love that only four ingredients are used to create this luscious silky dark chocolate tart. It's somewhat ganachy, with a gorgeous coconut crust-sort of like a giant, chocolate covered macaroon, really. It's impressive yet takes next to no effort or skill, and feeds an army due to its glorious richness. Could there be any more perfect a dessert for Christmas? Easy, quick, delicious, festive, impressive! Perfection.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE & COCONUT TART (Adapted from Marin Mama Cooks)

4 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 cups dessicated coconut
350g dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 180C.
Place one third of the coconut into a medium bowl with the butter and stir thoroughly to combine. using your fingers, combine the remaining coconut with the butter coconut mix.
Line a 9in pie dish with baking paper. Press the coconut mixture firmly into the base and then up the sides of the dish, leaving the top edge more loosely packed and fluffy. Lay a sheet of foil underneath your pie dish and draw a circle around it. Cut off the edges so that you have a foil cover the size of the pie. Fold this in half and cut a half circle about two inches from the edge. Unfold to reveal a "o" shaped ring of foil. Place this on the pie so that it covers the top of the edges. This will stop it from over browning. Place the pie in the oven. You will need to carefully watch the pie, as ovens vary hence does the cooking time. Also what you cook in (glass, tin, ceramic etc) will alter the browning time. I cooked mine in a tin and it took about 12-15 minutes to start tuning a golden brown. Then remove the foil and cook for a further 4 minutes until just golden on the edges. Be careful not to let the bottom get too brown. If one area is getting too brown, cover in a piece of foil to stop the browning process in that area.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When the crust is cool, chop up the chocolate and place it in a medium sized heat proof bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan. Over a medium-low heat, bring the cream just to the boil.  Pour the cream over the chocolate, and let it sit for 10 minutes undisturbed. Mix together until fully incorporated and smooth and glossy. Pour into the coconut base and smooth the top if you need to.
Refrigerate until the chocolate has set (this will depend on the the of chocolate you use, it can take from 2 to 24 hours)

Serves: 10-12 (slice small as this tart is very rich)

Mango Butter Cream Sponge Cake

 I've been noting the trending goings-on in the food world of late. One of the great things about food blogging, is that even people who approach me and don't know me always have something interesting to share about their food experiences. Food is such an awesome universal binder, is it not?
Anyway there have been a few trendy things going on of late. Forget bacon on sweets and salted caramel,  that's so 2012. Things have gone to another level, with bars serving fried locusts on the side of cocktails (to be eaten) and some sort of sand worms have also made an appearance in fancy restaurants up here in Queensland. I know St. John lived off locusts and honey--but would you choose it when you have a menu of delicacies before you? (Having said that, apparently they are low fat and high protein, might make a good snack for weight watchers!) Call me a wimp, but I don't go in for these things. That includes sheep's brains, offal, haggis and the likes. Really, some things should not be eaten.
Speaking of unsavoury things in Queensland, what's with the fried feet? You'd think no one owned shoes around here. (Seriously this is a great embarrassment to me, seeing grown people walking about the streets and in shops with no shoes. We don't live in a seaside town either. I have the feeling we're going back to primitive times.)
On a loftier note, mango is back in season, and I couldn't help myself with this gorgeous sunny, fruit laden sponge cake. You will love the airy texture of this quick and easy sponge, layered with decadent mango butter cream and girdled with toasted coconut. It's a wee piece of heaven, and makes an effortlessly impressive addition to any table.

MANGO BUTTER CREAM SPONGE CAKE (partially adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, April 2010)

1 cup self raising flour
1 tsp cornflour
1 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp melted butter
3x 60g eggs
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 190C.
Grease and line two 20cm cake pans with butter and baking paper. Sift the flour and cornflour into a large bowl, then add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and zest and beat with the electric mixer on high. Beat until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Fold the baking powder into this mixture.
Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden in colour and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to complete the cooling process on a wire rack.

To make the Mango Butter Cream:

*please note, quantities stated below are just rough measurements, I tend to add a little more icing sugar or liquid until I reach the desired consistency, so feel free to do the same*

1 mango, peeled, seeded, pureed
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup toasted coconut, to decorate
1 extra mango, sliced, to decorate

Place pureed mango, icing sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with an electric beater. Gradually add the cream until the desired texture is achieved. Whip until light and airy before smoothing between the two sponge cakes, on the sides and the top. Press toasted coconut to the sides of the cake, and decorate with extra mango slices if desired.


NOTES: This sponge cake is best eaten on the day it is made, for maximum softness.

Mad Easy Jam Coconut Macaroons

Coconut, shmokonut, we all love it around here. Thanks to this subtropical climate I live in, such flavours are much desired and a great match for the other tropical fruits that grow locally here, such as mango and banana. But there's long been a combination I've desired to see together. I'm a terrible matchmaker-most matches I make end in tears, so I'm better of sticking with food rather than ill-suited couples. I give myself brownie points for trying though (lets make that dark chocolate fudgy brownie points).
The local Woolworth store here has these amazing coconut drops with strawberry jam on the top, and I have been long looking for a recipe. The coconut is sweet and moist, but the little drops hold together beautifully and hardly look cooked--how do they do it? Anyway, I have not been able to find any recipe to compare. But I'm back with the Secret Recipe Club after my post baby break, and I was given the blog A Couple In The Kitchen to cook from. They have a great 4 ingredient recipe for coconut macaroons--and I just had to try it. It's so simple, quick, and gluten free--exactly the type of recipe a new mummy like me needs between baby sleeping and waking. They're also strangely addictive, and are sure to disappear from the kitchen very quickly.

When you first inhale that warm coconut aroma, and the sweet scent of boiling strawberry jam, you will realise that eating these coconut jam drops straight out of the oven is well worth burning the tongue for.

I've adapted the recipe a little to see if I could make them anything like the Woolworth's coconut drops. (It turns out, to my absolute glee, that they are very much like those delicious morsels! They're soft, sweet and moist with a little crunch on the outer--divine!) My husband also has a strong aversion to almond essence, which was in the original recipe, so I made them just vanilla instead. I also did not have sweetened flake coconut (I don't think we even sell sweetened coconut here in Australia!) so I used dessicated coconut, and found that the sweetness from the condensed milk was enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. I think the addition of strawberry jam also added just a little more sugar, and made these darling little coconut jam macaroons the perfect addition to an afternoon tea platter or even a festive little treat for the Christmas table.
Please don't forget to check out  A Couple In The Kitchen's blog...they are recent award winning bloggers!

MAD EASY JAM COCONUT MACAROONS (adapted from A Couple in the Kitchen)

3 cups dessicated coconut (unsweetened)
300g sweetened condensed milk (approx. 3/4 can)
3 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line one large baking tray with non stick paper. In a large bowl, place the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla essence. Stir until well incorporated. Scoop amounts the size of a golf ball into your hand and gently form into a round shape. Using your index finger, make a small indentation to the top, and place on tray and lightly flatten. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Then fill the indentations with a little jam. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the tray before removing.

Makes approximately 18

Floating Coconut Island Macaroons

They're not your ordinary macaroons. These fluffy looking coconut "mountains" are dipped in dark chocolate, drizzled in white chocolate and hold hints of hazelnut liqueur. Lightly toasted, subtly sweet, you will feel like you're on cloud nine sinking your teeth into these.

FLOATING COCONUT ISLAND MACAROONS

7oz dessicated coconut flakes
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
small pinch salt
2 egg whites
1 1/2  tbsp. hazelnut liqueur
Dark chocolate for dipping
White chocolate for drizzling

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in whisked egg whites and liqueur, and stir until well combined. Form 24 rough but firmly packed mounds of mixture onto greased and lined trays. Cook for 15 minutes at 180C until the edges begin to turn golden. When cooled, dip the bottoms in melted chocolate and place on baking paper until cooled. Drizzle white chocolate over the tops if desired. Store in an air tight container.

NOTES: If you prefer your macaroons to be more golden on top but the bottoms are already browned enough, a few moments under the grill will colour the tops beautifully. During baking time, you may like to remove the trays and check that the macaroons have not crumbled on them selves and pinch the tops if they have collapsed a little. Sometimes the mixture seems a little crumbly.

Furry Green Monsters in your Fridge?

I don't know about you, but I am constantly finding food in the back of the fridge that needs to be thrown out. Yes, those furry green monsters no one wants to touch. Okay, it's not that bad...especially as now I have got my act together and decided I will be that Domestic Goddess my husband thinks I am. *giggles*
It is much easier than you think. It depends how determined you are. I suppose there are a lot of factors that go into it, but I decided to begin, I would reorganise my day and prioritise properly.
Starting with the kitchen of course.
After all, a great percentage of the day is spent in that room (as well as that room that harbours the computer, but that's changed too). I bought myself a thick folder, made myself shopping list spreadsheets, pantry inventory lists, menu planners, to do lists, weekly chore planners, the lot, and  set it out all nicely. It now lives on my kitchen bench and looks at me every morning to remind me. Once every fortnight I sit and plan the next fortnight, the meals, the cleaning, the appointments, the things I want to get done.

My house has gone from bomb to bliss! 

The refrigerator has gone from clutter to clean! I know what I have and I know what has to be used, and I plan meals and baking around that. There are no furry monsters hiding way back in the shadows. I have more time to do what I want as well, would you believe? More baking can be slotted in, grocery bills reduced due to menu planning, and I never have to get up and wonder what on earth we are having for dinner that day. I have the kitchen organised and the sink sparkling and the rest of the housework feels like a joy...its done in no time. Planning...is all it takes!
Are you ready to take the challenge? Get organised? I dare you to start with the green furry monsters.
Did you find a half full can of sweetened condensed milk that's still okay back there? Here's a winner for the sweet tooth's from my mum's archives. Mmmh, citrus! That's what I call a clean taste!

ICED LEMON COCONUT SQUARES

1/2 cup condensed milk
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 packet plain sweet biscuits (such as Marie or Arrowroot biscuits)
125g butter
1 cup coconut
extra coconut to decorate

Place the condensed milk and butter in a small saucepan, and stir over a gentle heat until the butter melts. Stir to combine.
Crush biscuits to resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add lemon rind and coconut to the crumbs and mix well. Add the warm butter mixture and mix until well combined. Press into a greased and lined 11"8" lamington tin with a fork.
Refrigerate for one hour. Ice with lemon icing and sprinkle with coconut if desired. Refrigerate and cut into squares when the icing has set.

NOTES: to make the lemon icing, combine 2-3 cups of pure icing sugar with lemon juice and stir to combine, adding more lemon juice until you reach the desired consistency.

Rummaging the Archives--Coconut Whirl Biscuits

I recently promised some of Mum's golden oldies that I ransacked from her recipe drawer at home. I love scrummaging through the deteriorating scraps of paper and magazine cutouts, the handmade school cookbooks with pages missing, and those tattered and written on old recipe books from who knows when. You never know what you're going to find. Sometimes I find something and it hits home. I remember that!! And all of a sudden a memory of my childhood comes back, as vivid as ever. Then when I bake it, more of the memory floods in. Its like finding photos of the past that you've never seen before, of when you where a child, and all of a sudden something you hadn't thought of in 20 years comes back into the mind.
So here's one of those recipes. My mum used to make these when I was very small. They are a soft biscuit with tangy lemon, coconut and the subtle sweetness of strawberry jam to balance the delightful flavour combination. So pretty and tasty for an afternoon tea with friends!

 

COCONUT WHIRL BISCUITS

2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp jam
6 tbsp coconut
1 tsp grated lemon rind
squeeze of lemon juice
extra coconut

Make a dough from the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar and milk. Roll out into a rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface.
Combine jam, coconut, lemon juice and rind together and spread over the top of the dough until the surface is well covered. Roll up into a sausage shape, and cut into 1cm thick slices. Arrange on a lined baking tray and brush the tops with beaten egg. Sprinkle each with extra coconut and bake at 180C until lightly golden (approximately 15-20 minutes.)

Makes 28

Marshmallow Lamingtons

Entertaining doesn't have to be difficult or stressful, or even time consuming. Of course you can always dash down to the store for a mud cake and lamingtons for your morning tea with the girls...or even better, whip something up in the nick of time that is even tastier and more unique. I think the best things in life are always the simple things, the small things. After all, when you think about what made your day, its probably your baby grinning cheekily at you over that caramelly gateaux oozing with chocolate and cream and all sorts of yummy gore.
Anyway, too often Mums and housewives like us look for some way to make things quicker, easier and as fuss free as possible. There's never enough time when you're a housewife, especially with kids, and a simple, effective and delicious recipe is always welcomed. And yes, I'd say its foolproof too. Who doesn't want that?
We called them Snowballs when we were kids, but back then they where much larger...these little guys are easier on the stomach and the hips, and you only need three ingredients. They can be made for an elegant afternoon tea with the mother in law, or a kids birthday party in bright coloured truffle cases and will go down just as well with both crowds. I assure you.

MARSHMALLOW LAMINGTONS

1/2 bag marshmallows
Approximately 350g cooking chocolate
1 cup shredded coconut

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Fill another small bowl with the coconut. Using a fork, dip each marshmallow into the chocolate and proceed to roll in the coconut until covered using another fork. Place the marshmallow on some greaseproof paper to dry or straight into a paper truffle case. Voila!

Coffee Layered Lamington Cake

Australians have a lot to be proud of when it comes to desserts. The famous Pavlova, the Peach Melba, Lamingtons, Golden Syrup Dumplings, Vanilla Slice. We'll pop the good old Anzac biscuits in there too, and the list goes on with all sorts of amazing iconic delights.
I love tradition, but I love tradition with a twist even more. It spices life up, and we all need that on occasion. How does coffee layered Lamington cake sound? This was a huge hit when I made it to celebrate my mother-in-law's retirement, and despite the sound of it and the list of ingredients, its quite simple to make.
Scared of trying to make a sponge cake? This was the first sponge I ever attempted, and truth me told I was besides myself with worry it would be a flat, hard lump of detestable grossness. Everyone says sponge cakes are the hardest cakes to get right but this one is super easy...I'd say its just about fool proof (although Ive only made it twice!)
I will add though, that if you're one of those delightfully optimistic "chuck any amount in and it will do" type of bakers, a sponge cake probably isnt your friend. Sponges, needless to say, require some precision. If the recipe asks for a cupof flour, it means a full cup of flour, not one that come shy of the top a few centremetres. You know what I mean. Just follow the yellow brick road and you will have something to brag about in a good hour or two.
There was a woman my family was in connection with who made the most fantastic sponge cakes. No one dared compete with her, and to every event she was requested to make that delicious airy sponge cake. She never parted with the recipe and no one ever challenged her. So you can see my apprehension in daring to make a sponge cake was high. Nothing could compare to that cloud of fluff she made. But this cake, if I may blow my horn a little, is very much in danger of becoming a requested party cake also. In fact, who needs a party as an excuse to indulge a little? Go on, you know you want to!

COFFEE LAYERED LAMINGTON CAKE
(adapted from Taste.com)

200g butter, room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 tbsp. milk
1 cup extra coconut

FILLING:

1 heaped tbsp. instant coffee granules
2 heaped tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
2 cups icing sugar, sifted

GANACHE:

1 cup thin cream
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

To make the ganache, combine the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over a medium low heat. Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is combined and smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Place in the fridge for a few hours until the mixture has thickened and is a spreadable consistency.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line two 20cm (base measurement) pans with non stick paper. Use a beater to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly after each addition until well combined. Add vanilla and beat through the mixture.
Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture. Use a metal spoon and fold until combined. fold in the 1/2 cup of coconut and milk. Divide among the two pans and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surfaces are dry to touch and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes before turning onto racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the cake filling, combine boiling water with the coffee granules and stir until smooth and well dissolved. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl and then add the coffee mixture. This should make a thin icing to go between the layers of cake.
Use a large serrated knife to cut each cake horizontally in half. Spread the thin icing on each layer except the top, and stack each cake one upon the other.Spread the top and sides evenly with ganache. Sprinkle over the ganache the extra coconut, pressing it gently to the sides until well covered. Serve with cream, if desired.

Serves 10

Coconut hides so many faults!!

Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate

After an unfortunate and unmentionable incident with some Malibu several years ago, I swore never to touch anything coconut related again. The thought of it made my stomach turn. Gradually the revulsion passed and now...Bounties have once again become one of my favourite chocolate bars and I don't mind the odd coconut cream in one of Luke's curries. Luke is a great fan of coconut and I suppose over time he has brought my taste buds back to life to enjoy its sweet goodness. We even have a whole coconut sitting at the bottom of the pantry, starring at us every time the door swings open. Its been there since the summer and will probably never be opened, but ah well, you cant have it all.
Anyway, I recently took a further leap and made macaroons which are just almost entirely made from coconut. Well, there's a bit of chocolate in there.
Okay, I lied.
I know I wasn't going to post any chocolaty recipes until after Easter, but here we have it.
I cant help myself.

Coconut Macaroons

COCONUT MACAROONS

7oz dessicated coconut flakes
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
small pinch salt
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
Chocolate for dipping

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in whisked egg whites and essence, and stir until well combined. Form 24 roughly formed but firmly packed balls of mixture onto greased and lined trays. Cook for 15 minutes at 180C until the edges begin to turn golden. When cooled, dip the bottoms in melted chocolate and place on baking paper until cooled. Store in an air tight container.

NOTES: If you prefer your macaroons to be more golden on top but the bottoms are already browned enough, a few moments under the grill will colour the tops beautifully. During baking time, you may like to remove the trays and check that the macaroons have not crumbled on them selves and pinch the tops if they have collapsed a little. Sometimes the mixture seems a little crumbly.

yum!

If He Doesnt Cook, Train Him

Too often have I heard women talking about how much they hate cooking. Imagine having to cook everyday without fail for 30 years of your life. Often when you have to do something without much choice, often part of the joy is taken out of it. It becomes a tedious, boring task.Then you fall into a cooking rut and find it difficult to feel any joy in providing the food three times a day (or more if you have toddlers-they ask for foo every 20 minutes).

I think if at all possible, a woman should find a life partner who can cook. What man isn't interested in food? I can't name even one. They make some of the finest cooks. If they're only interested in the eating and not the creating, it's time to get them into the kitchen! What if they don't want to be involved? You could urge them in the right direction by getting their input with things like meal planning for the week. Buy a few foodie magazines and get them drooling. They might just be inspired to get cooking.And if not, get them to light up the BBQ every so often, I'm pretty sure most men think it's their duty to cook the meat on the BBQ.

I think I get so much pleasure out of being in the kitchen because I don't have to be, I want to be. My husband has an interest in food and is happy to make the dinner if I am too tired or just don't feel like it. He recently created an amazing curry which I will put up on the blog soon. In the meantime, here's another creation of his to get you all through this warm summer. Happy New Year!

CITRUS MULE

350ml Gingerbeer mixer 

2L lemonade

1/5 cup lemon juice

250lm coconut liqueur

150lm white rum

Combine all ingredients together in a large jug. Serve chilled with lemon wedges.

NOTES: Gingerbeer Mixer can be found in your local Coles or Woolworth stores. It is a cordial/syrup made by Buderim Ginger. Alternately, use Gingerbeer and less lemonade.

Christmas Edibles Continued..

 Here's another family favourite of mine that never goes astray at Christmas...the good old Rum Ball! I'm not particularly a fan of chunks of raisin and nuts in my Rum Balls, so here's a smoothy...you can add your glace cherries and so forth if you prefer...and certainly, increase the rum and make them a little more boozy! These are also fantastic as gifts, in tiny truffle cups, boxed and tied with ribbon.

CREAMY RUM BALLS

7oz Milk Arrowroot Biscuits
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup coconut
400g can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp. rum
extra coconut

Crush biscuits with a rolling pin until they resemble fine crumbs. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, mixing well until combined. Shape mixture into walnut-sized balls, rolling each in extra coconut until covered. Place in refrigerator until firm.

Makes 30.