Mini Christmas puddings

Christmas withdrawal is setting in and we’re all left with our fair share of leftovers! Leftover Christmas pudding soaked in a few extra shots of dark rum topped with a decadent dollop of dark chocolate these mini Christmas puddings or rum balls are heavenly! Christmas isn’t complete without these lovelies in my home. Over the years it’s turned into a family tradition during the festive season that everyone can’t get enough of. It’s definitely worth the effort and great fun to get creative with these instead of wasting leftovers!

PREPARATION TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

300g Christmas pudding/fruit cake (store bought or leftovers work perfect too!)
3-4 tablespoons dark rum
1 bar of dark chocolate, melted

For the fondant*(optional):

1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon water
Liquid food dye (red, green)

METHOD

In a large mixing bowl, crumble the Christmas pudding until there’s no large lumps left.

Pour in the dark rum and mix thoroughly until the crumble feels moist enough that it holds its shape. Roll out bite-sized balls, the size of a truffle and set aside on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Note: Don’t be stingy with the alcohol, remember it’s the holiday season you can do with an extra dash of dark rum into the bowl.

Place the rum balls in the fridge to firm up for about about 30 minutes.

Dollop some melted dark chocolate over the top. Alternatively you could dunk the entire rum ball into the chocolate as well. set aside at room temperature until set.

To make the fondant:

In a bowl mix together the icing sugar and water until it forms a dough. Tip onto the worktop and knead for a few minutes until smooth.

Divide the dough into three parts. Add in the red and green food dyes respectively and leave the third bit as it is.

You can use this bit to create a base for your fondant decoration or leave it out all together.

Using the coloured fondant make little hollies or any shape you prefer and place it atop your rum ball. This year I decided to experiment and make them look like clay animated decorations instead of a proper traditional holly. If you’re short on time skip the fondant, they’re just as yummy!

There you have it little extra boozy Christmas puddings!

If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to see how it turned out. Leave a comment below and share your pictures on Instagram using the tag #thecookbooklife!

Happy holidays everyone!

Nikita xx