Choc-mint balls

After being pestered to make more rum balls for ages despite there being a distinct lack of rum in the house, I had a moment of brilliance. Well I may have to give the man a bit of credit if my memory serves me right as he was the one that suggested I make choc-mint balls instead. By substituting a bit of peppermint essense in for the rum these old favorites took on a totally different flavour. I missed out on a photo the first time around as they were so popular with the boys and visitors (not that they look any different to the rum variety)!

The first batch I made a while ago only had 1 teaspoon of peppermint essense which gave the balls a hint of a pepperminty taste so I decided to increase the amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons this time and was much happier with the overall flavour. I actually prefer choc-mint balls over traditional rum balls, they are dangerously moreish.

This latest batch was made the other night when my darling dog was staying overnight at the vet as I wanted to occupy myself with further cooking after dinner was finished. Jasper was so excited when we picked him up the next day, it was very hard not to be emotional but all of the material we read advised that we needed to stay positive for him. He was up on his three feet with his tail wagging madly and desperately trying to spread his kisses around as quickly as he could manage.

It is remarkable to watch him progress every day and become more confident and adjusted to getting around without his fourth limb. We initially assisted Jasper up and down our back steps but after a day he decided he wanted to tackle it by himself and now has worked out several different methods to suit his needs. After such a difficult decision, it is a huge relief to see that he is happy...   

Choc-mint balls

250g packet Arnott's Nice biscuits
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
330g can Soymilke soy condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint essense
Extra desiccated coconut, for coating

Process biscuits in a food processor until they become a fine powder. Add the cocoa and 1/2 cup coconut to the food processor and pulse a few times. Transfer mixture to a bowl then add the soy condensed milk, peppermint essense and mix together until everything is well combined.

Place mixture in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to give it a firmer texture which makes it easier to roll the balls. If the mixture is too soft, it gets very sticky and difficult to roll properly and the balls will not hold their shape.

Put the extra coconut into a bowl. Roll spoonfuls of mixture into balls with your hands, and then coat in coconut. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.