RUM BALL COOKIES

Picking a favorite Christmas cookie

is a lot like picking a favorite Chanel.I just can’t do it. I love them all. But one that’s always at the top of my list to make are rum balls. It’s a recipe that my family has made since I was a kid and they are as much a favorite now as they were when I was younger {which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the rum…I swear! Ha!]. You only need a few ingredients to put them together, no eggs, butter or flour are required and they don’t even need to be baked. In other words, they’re just about the easiest Christmas cookie you’ll ever make. In fact, the only difficult thing about them is tracking down chocolate wafers. It’s basically like finding a needle in a haystack, which is insane because it’s, umm, CHOCOLATE WAFERS. Like, who doesn’t have those?! Well, I’m here to tell you, everyone. But since these cookies require them, and I’m telling you how good these cookies are and that you NEED to make them, here are a few tips for tracking down the ever-elusive chocolate wafer cookie. Firstly, a good spot to look in the grocery store is the ice-cream aisle/where the ice-cream toppings are. Another spot to look is by the graham crackers, and, of course, by the cookies {shocking, I know}. I’ve usually been able to find them at World Market, you can buy them on Amazon, if you’re in the LA area I’ve gotten them at Gelson’s and in NYC I’ve found them at Fairway, or you could go ahead and just make some yourself {which will just negate the whole “easy recipe” factor, but you can’t win ‘em all, I guess}. However, you have to track them down, wrangle someone into getting them for you, bribe them, pay off them off, trick them, whatever you have to do, do it. These cookies are worth it! I mean, did I mention they’re boozy??! Like there’s actual booze in them??! Like you can have your booze and eat it, too?! Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum indeed!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE?

HOW TO MAKE RUM BALLS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-ounce package of chocolate wafers {about 28-30 cookies, or 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs}

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup corn syrup

• 3 tablespoons rum

• Zest of 1 small orange

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor pulse the cookies and walnuts until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

2. Add 1/2 cu powdered sugar, the corn syrup, rum and orange zest. Pulse a few more second, or until everything is combined.

3. Measure about 1 tablespoon of mixture, roll into a ball, dip in the remaining 1/4 cup of powder sugar and set aside. Repeat with the remaining cookie crumb mixture. If at any point the mixture gets too dry to stick together, just mix in a little more corn syrup.

4. Store the cookies in an airtight container.