Rum Balls

Twelve Days of Cookie Baking — Day 7

Create memories your families and friends will savor for years to come

Benedictine Sister Cathel Sefkow’s recipe for rum balls is featured in a brand new cookbook published by the Benedictine Sisters in St. Joseph, Minn. This Christmastime classic is a favorite of many at the monastery and throughout central Minnesota. There are infinite ways to make these no-bake truffle-like confections as recipes vary from region to region and family to family.

“It’s an excellent recipe,” Sister Cathel said. “I’ve shared it with many people and it always works.”

Sister Cathel, 96, hails from Holt, Minn. She made her final profession with the Benedictine community in 1944. Her ministry was primarily education — teaching grade school classes and later, high school home economics for many years. Even though I’ve never met her, I feel Sister Cathel is a kindred spirit as I also taught home economics (now called Family and Consumer Science) for many years. After retirement from her teaching career, she was executive housekeeper at the St. Cloud Hospital and then the administrator of St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in St. Cloud. She has lived at St. Scholastica Convent since 1993. CJK

Rum Balls

(Benedictine Sister Cathel Sefkow)

3 cups vanilla wafers or graham crackers

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup rum*

Extra powdered sugar

Crush vanilla wafers (or graham crackers). Mix in sugar, cocoa and chopped nuts. Add syrup and rum and stir until thoroughly mixed. (Mixture will be stiff.) Wet hands (or coat them with sugar) and shape into balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Chill and roll balls in powdered sugar again.

Yield: 4 dozen

Cook’s Note: *If you prefer not to use rum, you may substitute 3 tbsp. water mixed with 1 tbsp. rum flavoring. (Brandy or bourbon may also be substituted for the rum.)

A note from Carol: Looking for an inexpensive gift or stocking stuffer that will be used time and time again? “Saint Benedict’s Monastery Cookbook, Volume II” is hot off the press! The spiral bound, 126-page book is a terrific collection of treasured recipes from the Benedictine Sisters in St. Joseph, Minn. At $8.95 plus shipping and handling, it’s a great deal!

It is the fourth cookbook that the Benedictine Sisters have published. Others include: “Saint Benedict’s Monastery Cookbook, Volume I,” “From the Monastery Kitchens — The Sesquicentennial Recipe Collection” and “The Art of Chinese Cooking.”

To purchase any of these cookbooks, stop by the Whitby Gift Shop and Gallery at the monastery in St. Joseph, the bookstores at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph and St. John’s University in Collegeville or the St. Scholastica Convent gift shop in St. Cloud.  It’s possible to order online as well.