Perfect for when you’re in a hurry and want to pull out a show-stopper, these rum balls look beautiful placed in candy cups for serving. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can refrigerate the fondant, dip it in chocolate, and then roll it in the nuts. When dipped in chocolate, they will store for up to a month and don’t need to be refrigerated.
Combine four and a half cups powdered sugar, cream cheese, evaporated milk, rum flavoring, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy.
Slowly add remaining powdered sugar until the batter turns into a thick paste. You may not need all the powdered sugar. Scrape the sides as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for two hours.
Pour the nuts onto a plate. Once the batter is chilled, use a spoon to scrape out about one and a half teaspoons of batter. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and roll the batter into a ball. Then roll the ball in the nuts to cover it. Place the ball on a piece of wax paper or in a paper candy cup. Repeat steps with remaining batter.
Stores for up to four days if covered with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator.
This recipe is excerpted from One Dirty Bowl by Christina Dymock (Cedar Fort, 2014) with permission from the publisher.