We mightn’t have a tree up this year or a wreath on the front door (due to OH&S issues related to living with a toddler) but we do have rum balls.
The raisins were doused in Bundaberg rum on Saturday afternoon…
And come Sunday morning, all I had to do was assemble the rest of the ingredients, as listed in
this recipe. I then used the
Exclusively Food version of the recipe for the preparation.
What I like about Amanda and Debbie’s recipe is that all the important steps take place in the relative safety of a food processor bowl. There’s no risk of knocking someone out as you try to crush arrowroot biscuits in a bag on the bench top and there’s not too much stray cocoa powder read for little fingers to then paint all over the kitchen cupboards. The resultant dough is also very dense and smooth.
Does anyone else get excited at the sight of a bowl of freshly opened desiccated coconut sitting next to neatly lined Christmas tins? I got these from Ikea and they’re one of the cutest versions they’ve released. I think the set of three were under $5.
Rolling and dusting the first rum ball of Christmas is definitely an Instagram photo worthy moment.
It’s hard not to feel like an oasis of Christmas kitchen calm when you’ve made a batch of rum balls. They’re so easy to make they’re practically effortless (except for the washing up). They manage to look both home made with love and store bought perfect at the same time.
 |
| You can never have too many bottles of Moet. Here are quite a few of mine being gifts for colleagues and there are a few more at home waiting for Wednesday. Thank you, Costco! |
I’m hoping that a little of that oasis of calm hangs around in the kitchen until Wednesday because I’m hosting Christmas lunch. My sister in law is gallantly providing the ham and a salad. I’ve been stealth shopping over the last few weeks and collected the beginnings of a cheese platter, a smoked salmon based breakfast and the official SSG Manor Christmas beverage – Moet. I’m planning a lazy girl’s Bellini arrangement that will see me blitz canned peaches and pour this into the bottom a champagne flute before adding peach schnapps and champagne.
It’s taking all of my willpower not to do an early test batch of Bellini’s with the canned peaches. Instead, I’ve been getting my canned peach fix over my cereal. This was always my favourite school camp breakfast. Especially when a generous hand was applied in spooning over the peach syrup after the milk had been poured. Cheerios are all I have in the house at the moment but the best version of this breakfast involves Rice Bubbles as the cereal.
It’s going to be a surreal Christmas for me. Last Christmas was a no cheese, smoked salmon, champagne or ham affair for me. I was also roughly the size of a beached whale (with the energy levels to match), waiting for the early stages of labour. Not that I actually knew what they might have felt like. And here I am this Christmas wrapping Duplo up for my little boy who is now almost one year old. I do get wistful for that bump of mine and that expectant waiting sometimes but I’m enjoying motherhood way too much to be wanting to turn back the clock.
There’s only one more working day before Christmas for me. It’s the usual Monday chaos around these parts but it’s cheerful chaos as everyone just does what needs to be done to get people home for Christmas Day and to make the break more pleasant for those who can’t and will be staying with us for the duration. I took one for the team today and got myself a caramel slice for morning tea. It was meant to have been a banana but it’s Christmas, right?
Other than a bit of a relax with family, I don’t actually have too many plans for the next few days. A swim, a bit of exercise, some online perusal of the post Christmas sales are some ideas I’ll consider at my leisure in between ham and cheese croissants for breakfast followed by bowls of tiramisu for morning tea. If I do venture out anywhere, what do you think my chances are of bumping into Brad and Ange? I’ve got to do a run to the petrol station for some bags of ice on Christmas Day. I’d better pull a brush through my hair before I leave.
Take care and may your lead up to Christmas be calm.
