Rum Balls

Oh rum balls. So easy. So yummy. Such a great use of baking leftovers.

Rum balls are super simple to make. First off, they're made with leftover cake. Or, if you're like me and never have this thing called "leftover cake" you can just whip up a box cake. Doesn't matter what type. Just use whatever has been sitting in the back of the pantry for the last year or two. I used a yellow cake, but enriched the favor with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder, a tablespoon or so of coffee grounds (yep, straight out of the bag. They add richness) and a few tablespoons of rum. Bake as directed on box and then let cool.

After the cake is cool, cut a piece or two, frost (leftover frosting is suggested) and eat. Now you have "leftover cake". With this leftover cake, put it into a mixing bowl, add about a cup or two of frosting (I had some white frosting from some cupcakes I made a two weeks ago and some cream cheese frosting from awhile ago). Add a little rum (I used bacardi gold) and gently mix until it forms a thick paste. Don't mix for too long. Chill the cake-paste for about an hour.

When the cake paste is cold, roll into small balls. Roll the small balls in whatever you have lying around. I used coconut, red sprinkles, and cocoa powered. You could also used diced nuts, melted chocolate, nonpareils, etc. When done, freeze overnight.

Now, eat them. 

Yummm

Left Over Pumpkin??? Solutions!

So you followed my post on how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch, but you're now facing a dilemma. Extra pumpkin. 


This extraneous pumpkin would not be a problem if you had enough for a second pie, but its not. You only have a little left. What are you going to do with it? It seems wasteful to throw it away. And its not something you're just going to dig into with a spoon (at least I wouldn't), or give to the dog (although mine would love that option). You want to use it purposefully.

First, figure out how much pumpkin you have left... 1 cup, 1/2 cup, just a few tablespoons? Here are a few ideas:


Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (Healthy!)
Adapted from http://kirbiecravings.com


3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used sugar free apple sauce)
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Coating:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon (go nuts on the cinnamon if you love cinnamon like I do)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease mini muffin pan with pam spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg until combined. Add in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until combined.
3. Then mix in pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.
4. Spoon in batter to muffin pan about 2/3 full (it will look quite runny, don't worry).
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let muffins cool before coating with cinnamon sugar.
6. For the coating. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small glass bowl. In another small bowl, combine 2/3 cup white sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Dip top of donuts in melted butter (or you could go wild and do the whole thing) and then dip in the sugar mixture.

Caution: These things are addictive. You can't eat just one!

So moist and yummy!

If you have only a tablespoon or two left, this recipe is perfect. This syrup is great in coffee, chai tea, and best of all, oatmeal!

Pumpkin Syrup:

From: http://www.savvyeat.com

Mix anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of this pumpkin spice syrup into a mug of your favorite hot drink, depending on how sweet and pumpkin-flavored you want it.

Yields: approximately 1 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Over low heat, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the sugar from burning.
Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the pumpkin is fully mixed into the syrup. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.