Wickedly good…from Sharon Stellrecht
2-1/2 C crushed vanilla wafers (you can use graham crackers, but I’ve never tried it)
1C powdered sugar
2T cocoa
3T light corn syrup
1/4C rum (you can use bourbon or brandy, but I’ve never tried that either)
1/2-1C chopped walnuts (you can use coconut, but why mess with a good thing?)
Mix together, make balls, roll in additional powdered sugar.
A 12-oz box of Nilla Wafers makes the right amount of crumbs.
The original recipe said it made about 32, but I got over 50 the last time I made them. I make them very small, about the size of a walnut. If the crumbs get a little dry towards the bottom, stir in a little more rum, about a teaspoon or so.
I just learned a critical fact about this recipe from our friend Joyce Mork-O’Brien: The longer they sit, the better they get, so make them 3 weeks in advance. In a pinch, you can get away with making them 4 days in advance, but they don’t taste like anything for the first few days. You’ll see what I mean if you taste test them when you make ’em.
Joyce’s are so good, people at her parties stick them in their pockets when they think she’s not looking, so they can take some home.
NOTE: I just discovered that they don’t last forever. If you have any left after four weeks (rare, but possible), they start to lose their flavor.