Chocolate + Coconut + Macademia Rum Balls

These rum balls are an adaptation of the more traditional vanilla wafer pecan recipe. I am trying to get into a christmas spirit Big Island style preparing for the KuKuihaele Cookie Bake Off. This cookie can be made quite easily, even with premade ingredients, but use caution because it can be quite potent. Making these cookies (AND snacking on these cookies while making) before 10 am is only advisable if you plan to lounge the rest of the day, at the beach or around the fire.

Assemble the basic cookie components:

- Prepare brownie mix, bake, and chop to small pieces.

I used Marie Callender's Brownie Mix because I found one of their brownie recipes contains Guittard Chocolate. I substituted the full amount of canola oil in this brownie recipe for equal parts butter and coconut oil. You can also purchase brownies if you don't have time to bake and just chop up to small pieces

- 1/2 cup finely chopped Macademia nuts

- 1/4 cup raw cocoa (organic preferred)

- 3 oz chopped milk chocolate chips (Guittard preferred)

-1/4-1/3 cup [Rum] (Bacardi's Coconut Rum preferred)

- 1 cup shredded coconut (For coating)

Mix all ingredients but the Rum and Coconut

Start with a conservative amount of [ Rum (+/- 1/4) ] cup and then add more as desired for taste and alcoholic strength. Be careful not to add too much or the cookie will be too sticky to roll. If you do make a cookie with a blood alcohol level above 10% and it is not clinically dead, you can add dry ingredients(nuts, cocoa, more brownie) to regain "rollability."

Mix the rum to make a nice paste that is not too sticky.

Roll Rum balls into 3/4" diameter balls. I keep them on the small side so I can pop more and not get too fast of a buzz. I am a wimp.

Roll ball in shredded coconut for an even coating. The drier and finer chopped the coconut, the easier the application but straight from the package works just fine.

Cookie is best to serve immediately but can be made a few days ahead of time. Alcohol is a preservative, after all. Place in the fridge but keep balls neatly separated or you may find one big rum ball when you take them out of the fridge to serve. I sprinkle the plate with cocoa powder and add some sort of floral type thing. I hope the property owner doesn't notice that flower head is missing.

Mele Kalikimaka n'at.