聖誕節常備甜點: 老奶奶牌蘭姆巧克力雪球-Christmas Rum ball (old lady guarantied)

蘭姆巧克力雪球-Christmas Rum ball

市面上食譜琳琅滿目, 但平時有在使用的人就會知道, 很多食譜中看不見得中用. 也可能是被家裡的真人版食譜百科寵壞了, 總覺得坊間食譜僅供參考為多, 真正想要做出像樣的作品, 還得請高手私相授受. 像演奏樂器, 光靠紙上談兵是學不來的.
 
在國外多年, 每年聖誕節食譜差不多就是這麼幾樣, 經典雖多, 成品作出來好吃的卻少. 能到讓我嚐過拜求食譜的算算好像只有兩道. 蘭姆巧克力雪球已經不知吃了多少年, 沒有一年讓人驚豔. 酒味及甜度極難控制得當. 酒加太多, 入口嗆鼻, 大人也許喜歡, 但算不上是能閤家共賞的點心; 甜度太過, 大人不愛; 餅乾內餡不夠甜, 小孩便不賞臉了.

幾天前家裡請附近鄰居來聚餐, 鄰居老奶奶拿來一盒自己做的蘭姆雪球讓在座賓客驚為天人, 酒味甜度平衡, 當下立刻請她賜教做法, 很奇怪, 有老奶奶掛保證的食譜往往就是比起一般商業食譜教的好吃. 比起五星級料理是各有千秋, 毫不遜色, 料理中有種家常質樸的美味, 安撫人心.

A couple of weeks back we had the neighbours over for pre-Christmas gathering. The Rum Balls brought over by an old lady few houses down were so good that I imminently asked her for the recipe. Somehow a recipe from an old lady always seems so much better than any modern variations. "Made by an old lady next door" is almost a label of guaranty in taste.

Ingredients:

• 200g Chocolate biscuits
• 100g coco-pops
• 150g raisins
• 2 table spoon cocoa
• 1&1/2 table spoon rum
• 1&1/2 table spoon Kahlua
• 2 table spoon instant coffee (fresh made coffee used)
• 395g condensed milk
• 1 bag chocolate flakes

Method:

1. Soak raisins in the Kahlua and rum for at least 1/2 hour
2. Crash the biscuits manually (DO NOT use food processor)
3. Put the crumbles, coco pops, cocoa and coffee into a large bowl. Stir in the soaked raisins (and the liquids), mix well.
4. Add the condensed milk and stir well until mixture is thoroughly combined.
5. Chill in the fridge (easier to roll)
6. Roll the mixture into bells and coat with the chocolate flakes.