Italian Rum Balls -- Holiday Cookie Contest Winner |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes |
Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 36 |
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Ingredients:
dough |
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still cool |
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar |
3 tablespoons light rum |
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , sifted |
coating |
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted |
1 1/2 cups walnuts , finely ground |
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar |
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon |
Directions:
1. Note:
2. This recipe, submitted by Maryanne Saunders of Woburn, MA was one of the winners of our 2005 Holiday Cookie Contest. Finely grind the walnuts in your food processor for 15 to 20 seconds. Do not overprocess the nuts or they will become greasy.
3. 1. For the dough: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. 2. With electric mixer, beat softened butter and brown sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add rum and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. With mixer running at low speed, gradually add flour and mix until just combined.
5. 3. Roll dough into thirty-six 1-inch balls. Place 18 balls on each prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart; refrigerate overnight or freeze for 1 hour.
6. 4. For the coating: Pour melted butter into shallow pie plate. In separate shallow pie plate, mix walnuts, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.
7. 5. Bake cookies until lightly browned, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes; transfer with metal spatula to wire rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes. Dip each ball in melted butter, then roll in walnut mixture to coat well.
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