Thursday, February 14, 2013

Pineapple-rum cupcakes

One could say that these pineapple-rum cupcakes were born out of necessity. The necessity to use up a huge bottle of rum that has been "burning a hole in my pocket" so to speak. :))) You see, we are not really big drinkers in my family. So, ever since I asked my husband to buy me a bottle of rum at Christmas time, in order to make the rum balls everybody at work raves about, and he brought home the biggest bottle of Bacardi the liquor store carried, I have been somewhat unsettled. My search for a recipe that requires rum was on! I considered rum cake. I am still considering it. Seriously considering it. But in the mean time, I came across a recipe that grabbed my attention because the star ingredient there were pineapples. And I looove pineapples. As I was studying the recipe, I noticed something else that grabbed my attention. It said you could also add rum, optionally, but in my mind there was nothing optional about this suggestion. That is when I fully embraced the idea and I ran with it. I not only put rum in the batter, I also made a pineapple filling to which I added rum, and a whipped cream cheese frosting which I "spiked" with some rum extract. :) Rum was officially the common thread between all three components these cupcakes were made of: cake, filling and frosting! 

To comment on the actual cake part, it was the first time I made this recipe, also known as "Preacher's cake" and I was blown away by how light, soft, spongy, tender and fluffy it was. Like a cloud of pineapple bliss! I did not add the coconut to it, as my husband is not a fan, but I think it will actually be awesome here and will definitely be making it again, next time with the coconut (sorry, honey :)). Another great thing about the recipe: super easy!


Pineapple Cupcakes, aka Preacher’s Cake 

Ingredients:
2 eggs (3.6 oz)
1 1/4 cups sugar (8.3 oz) or more, I used 1 1/2 cup
2 teaspoons vanilla (or rum/rum extract)
2 tablespoons canola oil
20 oz crushed pineapple, undrained (about 2 ¾ cups)
½ cup walnuts (2 oz), medium ground
2 cups flour (10 oz)
2 tablespoons coconut  (optional)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Directions: 
In a medium sized bowl add the eggs, sugar, vanilla (or rum/rum extract), oil and crushed pineapple. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda and add that into the bowl and mix well. Lastly add the walnuts and the coconut and mix until well incorporated. Grease and line your pans or put cupcake liners in muffins tins, pour in the batter and bake at 350°F- for cupcakes 18-19 minutes (for 8 inch pan about 30 minutes) until the cake is golden brown on top and springs back when touched in the center. Using a tester will not work here, because the cake is very moist and may appear under cooked.  Allow the cake to cool completely, then invert onto your serving dish and either serve it plain dusted with a little powdered sugar or top it with cream cheese frosting. You can also bake this in an oven proof pyrex dish and serve it directly out of the dish without the need for a separate platter.

Makes 30 cupcakes or a two-layer 8 inch cake, or a single 9x13 inch pan.

Special thanks for this terrific recipe goes to: Good Food Gourmet


As you see from my pictures, I baked the cake in cupcake liners. The cupcakes turned out phenomenal. Baked to perfection in exactly 18-19 minutes! I decided to fill them with a pineapple-rum filling, to carry the idea one step further.


Pineapple Filling


Ingredients:
  • 2 (8-oz.) cans crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tsps rum 
Directions:
  1. 1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness.
  2. 2. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla and rum; pour mixture into a bowl. Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on warm filling (to prevent a film from forming); chill 2 to 24 hours.
 Pineapple filling recipe was inspired from , APRIL 2012


After I filled my cupcakes with the chilled filling, I made a delectable, luscious whipped cream cheese frosting to top things off. It was the perfect finish to this pineapple-rum extravaganza. :) Finally, I sprinkled the piped swirls with some pink sugar sprinkles, for good measure.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks butter, room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 tbsps heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract (and in my case, I added 1/2 tsp rum extract too)

Directions:
Add the cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and using the paddle attachment begin creaming it, then slowly add the softened butter until it has all been incorporated. Sift the powdered sugar and add a little at a time until it has all been incorporated. Next, add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Lastly, add the vanilla (and/or rum extract). You may want to use less or more powdered sugar depending on your preference. I like to use as little as possible but still have a consistency stiff enough to pipe. The above ration worked for me. It wasn't sure stiff but it wasn't super sweet either. Feel free to play around to adjust to your personal taste and needs.

***

I have to say, these cupcakes were very well received at my work place where I took them today, as well as in my home. I personally love them too. And now that I have used 3-4 teaspoons of my huge bottle of rum, I will have to quickly whip up another several hundred batches of these cupcakes in order to finish it off and settle the issue that started this whole thing in the first place. :)

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Chocolate dipped pretzels for Valentine's Day

This was another joint project between my daughter Anna and me: chocolate dipped pretzels for Valentine's Day!



We made them to give out to her classmates and teachers next week, and for her brother's and sister's friends at school too. We made a lot! :) A whole big box of pretzel rods, to be precise. :) And we used 24oz of chocolate and a whole box of sprinkles too. :) I did all the dipping and Anna did all the sprinkles. It worked out great! We had already had a "practice run" of doing this at Christmas time, so we knew "the drill". :) We used both dark and white chocolate and we were both pleased with the end results. Don't they look pretty? :) Hopefully, their school friends and teachers will like them too. :)



Ingredients:
  • 16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp shortening
  • 5 dozen pretzel rods or large pretzel twists
  • Assorted sprinkles, small candies or chopped nuts (optional)
  • 8oz white chocolate chip (optional)
Directions: 
 
1. Prepare a couple of baking sheets by lining them with aluminum foil/parchment paper/wax paper or just use a silicone mat.

2. Combine the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and the shortening in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until the chocolate is melted, stirring after every 30 seconds (for 16 oz of chocolate, it takes about 1 minute and a half in total). When chocolate gets overheated it thickens and becomes unworkable, so watch your chocolate carefully! Take it out of the microwave when there are still unmelted chips remaining, and stir until the final chips melt. Alternatively, you can put the bowl with chocolate chips on top of a simmering pot of water and stir the chocolate until it melts- this way your chances of seizing the chocolate are not as high as if using the microwave (at least from personal experience), you just have to be careful not to get burned by the steam of the simmering water. Make sure the burner is set on LOW- you want a low simmer, not a boil.

3. If dipping pretzel rods, hold a rod by one end and dip in the chocolate, leaving an inch or two uncovered. Tap off the excess chocolate until the pretzel looks nice and smooth. If you are dipping pretzel twists, drop the whole pretzel in the chocolate and submerge it slightly. Use a fork to pull the pretzel out of the chocolate. Shake the chocolate-dipped pretzels several times to remove excess chocolate, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. If you are using sprinkles or small candies, sprinkle them on when the chocolate is still wet. Repeat with remaining chocolate and pretzels.

4. Place the pretzels in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set the chocolate (or just leave out for a couple of hours or overnight- this is what I do).

5. If desired, melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the pretzels for a decorative look, or do the reverse, for fun). Leave to set.

And here are our ready pretzels, all individually packaged for gift giving: 



Recipe courtesy: http://candy.about.com

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Anna's talent show cupcakes

This week, Anna had a talent show at church, with the Girl Missionettes. She chose to do artwork and baking. For her baking project she decided to make pink vanilla cupcakes with strawberry "magical" cream cheese frosting. She worked so hard on them! She chose to make my original vanilla cupcake recipe with some pink food gel coloring and our new favorite "magical" frosting with 1/2 tsp of strawberry extract and pink food gel coloring added. We also substituted one of the sticks of butter with 8oz of cream cheese at room temperature in the frosting- it turned out delicious. And the cupcakes looked so pretty too! She insisted on doing all the mixing, baking and piping herself! (Mommy only supervised and held her hand while piping a few times. :)) She is only 8 years old and already so independent and a pastry chef in her own right! :) I am very proud of her!



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Healthy and Delicious Granola

A co-worker of mine brought some yummy granola to work a couple of weeks ago and I knew right away I had to make it for my family! It was delicious and oh so healthy and wholesome! She graciously shared not only the granola with me but also her recipe and I have already made it twice in the last two weeks! The first batch was literally gone in a few days! What I love about making my own granola is that I know exactly what goes into it and I can adjust the sweetness to my liking. So many of the granola mixes and granola bars out on the market are way too sweet or full of "fillers" I would not necessarily want to feed my family with. So, this recipe fits all my requirements for good granola. And you can improvise to your heart's content- according to your mood that day, or what you have in the pantry, or what your family "puts an order for". :)The first time I made the granola, I followed the recipe pretty closely. The second time, I used a tropical dried fruit mix- with dried papaya, pineapple, etc and it was awesome. You could add coconut flakes too for another touch of the tropics... Any way your fancy takes you, you will be glad you made this granola. I promise.

Ingredients: 

3 cups rolled oats
3 cups quick oats
1/4 cup psyllium (optional- I don't use it)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds (or flax meal)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup rice crispies (optional- I don't use them)
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup or more chopped almonds
1/2 cup or more chopped walnuts or pecans or any other nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots or any other dried fruit such as cherries, blueberries, dates, etc
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
3/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup honey

Directions: 

Mix oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit in a large bowl.

In a large glass measuring cup or bowl microwave the honey and oil for 30 to 60 seconds until just warm. With fork or whisk, blend until thick. Pour over dry oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. With rubber spatula mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.

Spray a large cookie sheet or two 9x13 inch baking pans. Pat mixture into pans- about 1 inch thick- and bake at 325 F for about 35-40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tops are golden brown.

Let cool completely. Store in jars. Enjoy!


The granola mix, right out of the oven: 



Monday, January 28, 2013

Lemon-raspberry cake with "magical" lemon cream cheese frosting

I have been so excited about the new recipe for "magical" frosting I just found over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, that I have made it three times in the last three days! :) Still, I made it in the original form the first time, using almond extract the second time, and changing it up just a couple more notches the third time- read below. :)

My daughter, Anna, helped me with the baking of the cake and making of the frosting, as well as assembly and decoration of the cake. She is so eager to learn, at just 8 years of age, I can't contain my joy! :) Here she is, proud with the cake we created together:


For the cake, we used my favorite vanilla cake recipe (see here), adding to it at the end the zest of one whole lemon and 1 tsp of lemon extract. We put raspberry preserves between the two layers of the cake and then frosted with the magical frosting (see here) and the following modifications:

Magical lemon cream cheese frosting
I substituted 8 oz of the butter in the base recipe with 8 oz of cream cheese,  added 1/2 tsp of lemon extract, the zest of one whole lemon, and freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon.

This variation definitely resulted in a softer frosting which would have been close to impossible to pipe, but in our case, that wasn't a problem- we wanted to simply smother it on the cake and make it very homemade looking. We achieved our goal! :) The frosting- and cake- were delicious! Tangy and sweet at the same time, moist and irresistible- all guests went for seconds!


We used the zester to garnish to top of the cake with more lemon zest in pretty long strips:


My little hostess serving the lemon-raspberry cake to our guests with a sweet smile:  :)


Friday, January 25, 2013

The best frosting ever, a.k.a. "magical" frosting

I have been on the search for the perfect frosting for years. Nobody in my family likes buttercream frosting- they all think it is way too sweet. Whipped cream is great in taste but doesn't work too well for piping and doesn't really hold up for too long. So, the search has always been on for a light and fluffy frosting that would also lend itself to piping. And voila- I stumbled upon this"magical" frosting over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe! The name actually fits it perfectly! It is like buttercream and whipped cream had a love child! I was able to pipe it and it held beautifully!

I am so excited and looking forward to making the chocolate version of this frosting next, and then maybe playing around with various extracts- lemon, orange, strawberry, changing it up a bit by subbing some of the butter for cream cheese, and some of the sugar for honey... The possibilities are endless- it is like a whole new horizon has opened up in front of me! Did I say I am excited!? :)))

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1% with stellar results)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened at room temperature


Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes, for me it was ready in exactly 7 minutes. It should bubble quite a bit at the end (be careful of the splatters) and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and cool to room temperature – this is extremely important! If it is even slightly warm, the frosting won’t beat up properly. (It took my mixture a good 2 hours to come to room temperature and it was smooth sailing from there.) You can also refrigerate the mixture overnight. If you do this, make sure to pull it out in time to let it warm back up to room temperature. If you try to proceed with the rest of the recipe and the mixture is too cold, the butter won’t absorb into the frosting properly.

Once the frosting is completely cooled to room temperature (it should have no hint of warmth at all!), pop the bowl on your stand mixer and beat the mixture with the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat the frosting until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and let the mixer work its magic. Beat the frosting for five minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff, about 1 hour, or chill if you want a stiffer consistency for piping. I piped mine without chilling it and it was stiff enough. The only caveat were all the air bubbles which naturally form in the frosting while fiercely beating the heck out of it but I was fine with it.


Chocolate Version: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt mixture in the first step. Once the frosting has been mixed for five minutes and is light and fluffy, mix in 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate that has been melted and completely cooled to room temperature.

Big thanks for this wonderful recipe to: Mel's kitchen cafe


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Banana Cream Pie

I actually made this dessert for a party we recently went to but it took me a while to pull my act together and post the recipe here. Now, I have a  confession make: I have made banana cream pie many, many times before but mostly using ready vanilla pudding mix. Let me tell you- there is no comparison whatsoever between the made-from-scratch vanilla pastry cream and the store-bought vanilla pudding! None. True, it takes longer to make the from-scratch pastry cream with all the whisking by the fire, tempering of the eggs, etc but the taste is definitely superior. My husband proclaimed it "The best banana cream pie" I've ever made without knowing what was different. Well, in this case, there was also the addition of a couple other "secret" ingredients (compliments of Paula Deen) that made this heavenly dessert really and truly over the top.


Ingredients:

5-6 bananas, sliced
1 box Nilla Wafers
Vanilla Pastry Cream (recipe below)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip
chocolate syrup for decorating (optional)
chopped nuts for decorating (optional) 

Directions

Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with Nilla Wafers.

Slice your bananas and layer evenly on top of the wafers.

Spread cooled Vanilla pastry cream on top of bananas. 

Arrange another layer of Nilla Wafers on top of vanilla pastry cream. 
In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese & condensed milk until smooth.  Gradually fold in whipped cream. Pour the mix evenly over the second layer of Nilla Wafers. 

Decorate with chocolate syrup and chopped nuts if desired.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding


Vanilla Pastry Cream
2/3 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 cup if you prefer desserts less sweet)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork to combine. Set aside.

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually pour in milk, while whisking, to make a smooth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Continue to cook and stir one minute.

Pour several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs and immediately stir well.  Pour warmed egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the hot milk mixture. Return to a slow boil, and cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool. When the pan has cooled, place in the refrigerator to fully cool. If desired, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the top surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.

My youngest daughter, Lizzie, admiring Mommy's banana cream pie :))

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Apple walnut cake

This beautiful Apple Walnut Cake was the "Recipe of the month" for January, 2013 as printed in one of my local magazines, The Navesink Area Journal. It sounded good and I am always game for another apple dessert, so I whipped it up this past weekend. It turned out pretty darn good: buttery, moist, with a good apple-spice flavor, and walnuts that give it richness and texture.


Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups cubed/chopped Macintosh apples  


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one 10inch tube pan.

 2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and apples. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350F for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Slide knife along outer edges to release bottom of tube pan. Slide knife along bottom of tube pan and inner tube to release cake. Note: If using lesser amount of apples, add several tablespoons of milk, to moisten the batter.  

Glaze (optional)
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsps of milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Makes approximately 1/2 cup of icing.

Stir milk into sugar. Add vanilla. Drizzle onto cake. May be thickened with confectioners' sugar or thinned with milk.

Monday, January 14, 2013

One Hour Dinner Rolls

These one hour dinner rolls were a pleasant surprise! I found them on Pinterest and thought why not make them, they only take an hour! :) Indeed, they were easy, quick and delicious. The only change I would make next time is use a little less sugar but other than that they were super fluffy and really yummy!


Ingredients
  • 1 c. warm water 
  • 1/4 c. sugar (I will use 1/8 cup next time)
  • 1/3 c. oil
  • 2 Tbsp. yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 1/3 c. flour
  • 1 egg yolk, for glaze (optional)
Directions
  1. In a kitchenaid mixer bowl, mix together warm water, sugar, oil, and yeast. Let stand for 15 minutes until yeast mixture is bubbly.
  2. Stir in salt and beaten egg to yeast mixture.
  3. Gradually add flour. Dough will be kind of sticky, but add enough flour until it's manageable. Let dough rest in the kitchenaid bowl for 10 minutes.
  4. Spray hands with non-stick cooking spray and form dough into balls. Place balls so they don't touch on a cookie sheet (18" x 26" pan). Let rise for 20 minutes (or longer, if you have the time). Or you can stick them in the fridge to slowly rise and you can bake them when you're ready later in the day.  
  5. Brush with egg yolk just before popping them in the oven. Or, brush with melted butter after they are baked. 
  6. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe courtesy: What's on your menu this week?

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Butter Pecan Meltaways

These Butter Pecan Meltaways are my favorite cookies hands down! My Mom and most of my friends love these too. I always double and triple my recipe because one batch usually isn't enough. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter (i.e. 1 cup/ or 2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups flour
2 to 2 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds or filberts)
6 tblsps powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp water
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar for coating


Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and water. Beat in flour and salt. Add nuts and mix thoroughly. Roll into small (about 1 inch) balls- I use my small ice cream scoop for that purpose- it works like a charm!

Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes (bottoms should be golden brown). When they come out of the oven, roll in powdered sugar. They literally melt in your mouth! Mmmmm... :)


Special thanks for this awesome recipe to my dear friend Nancy Pietz who graciously gave it to me quite a few years ago. I have been baking these delicious cookies every Christmas (and in between) ever since!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Peanut Blossom Cookies a.k.a. Sweet Spots :)

These peanut butter/chocolate cookies are an old favorite in my home- my kids can eat tons of them, if I let them. :) I also have a co-worker who gets a whole plate of them every Christmas because they are his personal favorites too. In fact, he is the one who calls them Sweet Spots- he said this is the name his grandmother always used. I like to call them Sweet Moments. :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsps milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar for coating
1 bag Hershey kisses (48 to 60 kisses), taken out of their wrappers


Directions:

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the milk. Add the flour, baking soda and salt (mixed beforehand separately) and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for an hour or until firm enough to form into balls.

Preheat oven to 375F. Place rack in the center of oven. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar. Put on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Flatten out each cookie a little bit. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down until the cookie just starts to crack. Don't touch cookies until completely cooled- kisses will be melty.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I don't actually remember where exactly I got this recipe from, or when. :) But it has been used many, many times in my kitchen for the years I've had it.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Rum Balls

These no-bake, fool-proof, "adult-only" cookies have always been a huge hit at my work place. Every Christmas, they are the most requested treat by everybody. What is great about them, they are extremely easy to make and the longer they sit, the better (i.e. the rummier) they get. :) It's a "retro" recipe that is still in demand. :)


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Nilla wafers, finely crushed (one 11oz box)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup honey
1/3 to 1/2 cup rum (I use Bacardi for maximum flavor)
orange zest from half an orange (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything thoroughly by hand, or using the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Shape into little 1 inch balls. Roll in more powdered sugar, or cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Special thanks to my friend Donna Davison for this terrific recipe.

Print recipe

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