(after reading about Serpents you'll want a few)

2 boxes vanilla wafers (10 OZ. each box) - crush one box contents inside bag with roller (or use food processor or blender) to make 2.5 cups
   (depending on quality of wafers and how soft or firm you like the rum balls, you might need to use the second box as well)

2 tablespoons powdered cocoa

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons corn syrup (or, half syrup, half honey)

0.25 cup rum

4 tablespoons whiskey

Pierce corners of vanilla wafer bag. Using roller, crush wafers. Empty and measure crushed wafers to 2.5 cups. Mix crumbs, cocoa, sugar and nuts. Add syrup, liquor and mix well.

Use melon scoop or small spoon to remove a bit of resulting dough. Using leftover confectioners sugar on hands (to prevent sticking), remove dough from scoop and roll into 1" ball. Repeat for remaining dough. Makes approximately 80-90 balls. Optionally, roll balls in leftover sugar for a lighter coloring.

Place in sealed container between layers of wax paper. Store for two days before serving (do not refrigerate). Keep covered to prevent drying and liquor evaporation.

Depending on several factors, one of which is the amount of air in the vanilla wafers, the resulting dough might be too thick to stir or too thin to roll. If too thick, add one or two more tablespoons of whiskey. If too thin, add proportional amounts crushed wafers & sugar, a bit at a time, until mixture thickens. Also, leaving mixture for a while in the bowl will thicken it as moisture evaporates. However, this will also reduce the amount of actual alcohol, which is not desirable.
 

Copyright Paul Schmidt 1997
revised December 1999