An Update; Amaretto Balls

December has flown by really quickly for me. It has been a month of working hard at both jobs, visits from both sets of parents, and lots of Christmas shopping and get-togethers. On the career change front, things are still pretty difficult with my parents, but I am only a couple of days away from giving my notice. Scared and excited at the same time is only a mild description of how I'm feeling.

Got some great Christmas gifts this year, including a dSLR camera and a new lens (still to come), awesome hand-made recipe cards, the second book by Michael Ruhlman, a gift certificate to West, and a pizza stone.

One new recipe I tried this holiday season was amaretto balls. I had somehow gotten myself fixated on rum balls, but when I was finally about to start to make them, A pointed out that we don't have any dark rum. So I adapted the recipe and made amaretto balls instead, which I think is probably better than rum balls anyway.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and if I don't manage to get back here this year, have a very happy 2010!

Amaretto Balls
Adapted from Joy of Cooking (recipe for Bourbon Balls)
Yield: 30 1-inch balls
Print recipe

1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp unsweeted cocoa powder
1/8 cup amaretto
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup icing sugar

1. Sift the 1/2 cup icing sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.


2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the amaretto and corn syrup.


3. Stir the amaretto mixture into the cocoa mixture. Set aside.


4. Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs (crushed in a food processor) and almonds, and stir into cocoa mixture.


5. Roll the mixture into balls between palms.


6. Roll the balls in the 1/4 cup of icing sugar.


7. Store between layers of wax or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.