Rum Balls

A dear, dear friend of mine (who happens to be a drinking buddy) nicknamed me "boozy cubes" awhile back. At first, I wasn't sure whether to be offended, complimented, or find a placement in the in-between gray area, but after thinking about it, I embraced my alcohol-y  nature and decided it was a good fit! Plus, Sarah (the BC-nickname originator) is a superb friend who would only leave the best compliments for me ;-)

In keeping up with tradition of my booze-loving nature, I decided to make rum balls for our MOMS Club cookies exchange. I was trying to decide what to make last week (looking for a super-easy, super-quick recipe since trying to do those in conjunction with Lindsay's party was going to be craaaaaazy). They were up my alley - chocolate, liquored up, and simple! - so I gave them a whirl.

Now, I had partied Friday AND Saturday night, so by the time Sunday rolled around, i was NOT looking for any booze to creep into my diet. I took a little nibble of the rum balls and maybe it was my poor, pathetic liver screaming, "HELP!" but I could have sworn they were a shot in a cookie. I took them trepidatiously, hoping not to offend anyone with their awfully liquored nature, but to my surprise, everyone was surprisingly accepting. No one felt they had any overly-boozey aftertaste. I was SHOCKED! They were delicious, but I seriously thought they were way too rummy.

Since we got the okay from several parties, I'll post the recipe. I thought they were delish...just had a potent rum taste to them! So, if you partake, be forewarned and enjoy :)

Rum Balls
Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.
4. Shape into 1-inch balls, and roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Rum balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Rum Balls - Martha Stewart Recipes