Saturday, September 17, 2011

Nutella Booze Balls

These do seem very Christmasy, but I figured if my grocery store can put Halloween displays out in August, then I can post this recipe in September. Besides, that gives those of you who are interested ample time to do a delicious test run before December sneaks up on you.

Obviously the inspiration for these delectable orbs comes from our kicky little friend the rum ball, a perennial holiday favorite. And just like rum balls, there's no baking required. And because they're not cooked, you can really taste the booze (which definitely helps keep your Christmas merry and bright).



NUTELLA BOOZE BALLS
Yield: about 65

1 1/2 cups (about 16 oz.) Nutella (hazelnut/cocoa spread)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 pinches salt
2 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafers (10-12 oz.)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4-1/2 cup liqueur (or liquor) of choice (like amaretto, rum, frangelico, brandy or bourbon), 
   plus more if needed

possible coatings:
finely crushed cookies
shredded, toasted coconut
finely chopped or ground nuts
cinnamon sugar
powdered sugar
cocoa powder
finely crushed cereal
melted chocolate
sprinkles
____________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine nutella, butter and salt in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. Add crushed cookie crumbs, cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of the liqueur; mix thoroughly.
2.      Let stand for 2-3 hours (the cookie crumbs will absorb the liqueur and the mixture will become dry and crumbly).
3.      Add more liqueur, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is the right consistency to form into a ball that is moist, but will still hold its shape nicely.
4.        Roll nutella mixture into small balls (about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons each). Roll each ball in your coating of choice. If using melted chocolate, dip and place on a parchment or wax paper lined sheet pan; refrigerate until set. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Copyright © by Susan Cleland, bloatalrecall.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.


I was feeling very indecisive, so I split the difference
and used both vanilla wafers and graham crackers.
cookie crumbs
Nutella jar
creamy Nutella
more creamy Nutella (I could take pictures of it all day)
mixing softened butter with Nutella
adding cocoa powder
amaretto added

I used amaretto (almond liqueur), but any
complimentary tasting liqueur will work.
adding cookie crumbs
all mixed

I did let it sit and then add more amaretto before
mixing again (but I forgot to take a photo of that).
Nutella mixture rolled into a ball
rolling in toasted, shredded coconut
rolling in cinnamon sugar

To make cinnamon sugar, just mix sugar with
cinnamon to taste (don't be shy -- use a lot).
coated with cookie crumbs
a variety of Nutella balls with different coatings

I did roll some in cocoa powder (on the bottom right),
but they're so messy (both when you roll them and
eat them), that I decided I liked the other ones better.
Nutella ball cross section
.

33 comments:

Andria Crowjoy said...

Mmmm, with Frangelico? Sign me up!

Okamoto said...

These are just amazing, the flavors(using Frangelico) blend perfectly together so that it's not cloyingly sweet, and there isn't an overwhelming sense of alcohol.

Thank you for this lovely recipe!

BarelyKnitTogether said...

Between these and the amaretto cookies, I am REALLY SAD that our liquor stores aren't open on Sundays. :(

Susan said...

I wish I could teleport you my bottle. Shouldn't we be able to do that by now? WTF?

icklebabe_com said...

Nutella and amaretto ?!? I die happy... I am making , no question

Anonymous said...

I had no vanilla wafers so I'm using animal crackers and fluffed marshmallow vodka. I will let you know how it turns out...

Susan said...

Please do (I'm sure the animal crackers will be great...I'm more curious about the vodka)!

Almond Groves said...

I just made these using Chambord (Rasberry Liqueur)... oh my, Heaven!

Susan said...

Mmmm. So many liqueurs, so little time!

Anonymous said...

Have you tried rolling them in sprinkles? If so, how do you get them to stick?? I'm having a lot of trouble with this! lol

Susan said...

I haven't tried sprinkles. It could be that they're a little heavy, but it might also be that the nutella booze balls are a little dry and could use a little more booze!

Emily said...

Hey Susan, how long do you think these could be stored in the fridge? Taking a batch to friends on Christmas Eve and trying to decide how far in advance I can make them ...

Susan said...

Hi Emily...that's the beauty of booze balls, the booze keeps them good for quite a while. I can't say the maximum amount of time (because they never stick around that long), but looking at the ingredients, I think you could keep them in the fridge for weeks. The only thing in them that can go bad is the butter, and that lasts a long time in the fridge.

A coworker of mine kept them in an airtight container at room temp. for 3 days and she said they kept getting better each day.

Merry Christmas! Susan

Emily said...

Fabulous! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks, and Merry Christmas to you!

Sylvia said...

I made several batches of these tonight using different alcohols, vanilla wafers and Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate cocoa powder. I think the order of preference came down to Marshmallow Vodka > Butterscotch Schnappes > Blackberry Brandy , but very few people tried more than two because they are soooo rich.

Unknown said...

I was thinking of trying these using Oreo cookies (minus the cream). Maybe half Nila wafers?

Susan said...

I wouldn't turn those down!

Unknown said...

I made these with 2C Oreos 1/2 C Nila wafers

Added 1C chopped pecans
1 1/2 TBSP ground espresso bean
1 TBSP dark corn syrup

They turned out great!!

Crystal said...

I haven't had rum balls in years! These look absolutely fantastic! In searching recipes however, I have noticed that the aging component from the recipes is missing. So just FYI, rum balls are traditionally aged in paper and tin for 2 weeks to a month. The difference is astounding! You can use butcher's paper (non-plastic coated) or parchment paper or even paper bags. Just store them in a pretty cookie tin in a dark, undisturbed place and forget about them for a couple weeks (Yes, this is like, SO hard to do. I recommend making 2 batches; one to eat right away and one to age for later) :)

Susan said...

I agree Crystal! Now that I've been making these for a few years, I find that aging them only boosts the flavor (although I will never turn down a young nutella booze ball)! :)

Unknown said...

Making these with thin mint cookies and 151 Bacardi rum.

spicee2 said...

when i make booze balls, i make them a week ahead of time, roll mine in powder sugar put them in airtight container with more powder sugar in jat. shake slightly and let them sit on the shelf and marinate. boy when you open them...heaven. i did mine with bourbon balls. if you leave sitting in frig ,all flavor will leave.....

Susan said...

Sounds like a perfect way to store them!

Jr's Fan said...

i used graham wafers and hazelnut liqour...so yummy

dmlover said...

I used vanilla mini wafers (easier for crushing), organic unsweetened toasted coconut, 3/4 cup Frangelico liqueur and 1/4 cup Brandy. They were boozy! Everyone loved them! Making second batch now! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

what would you use to make these non-alcoholic? I wanted some that the kiddos could eat and some the adults could eat?

Susan said...

I actually don't think it's terrible to let the kids eat a couple of these (because per ball there isn't much booze). But if that makes you uncomfortable, you could try some decaf coffee (I haven't used it, but it sounds good to me). Good luck! :)

Mcx Gold Perfect Tips Live said...

I love all nutella recipes..


Commodity Silver Tips Perfect

Anonymous said...

I did these on Saturday, but because I couldnt find vanilla wafers I used Oreo cookies and the results were surprisingly good! Here are some pics: http://www.thevivalavita.com/nutella-oreo-booze-balls/ Lucia

Susan said...

@Lucia: They look great! :)

Nancy said...

Have you tried using this as a pie crust? I make a Baileys pie, and using kaluha in the crust sounds like it might be so much better than the oreo crust I use now!

Susan said...

@Nancy: I think the flavors would be great for a crust, but I think you'd need to cut way down on the nutella (I don't think the texture would be right with the current ratios). Good luck - Bailey's pie sounds delicious!

Skye said...

No amaretto or Frangelico to be found in my town so I used hazelnut coffee liqueur. Very yummy! I'm thinking of doing the same again and dipping them in dark or white chocolate.

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