Rumballs - Dark and White

In the spirit of Christmas Elfing that is happening today at B's here is my tried and true rumball recipe. Please note the directions to roll the rumballs in cat fur lint came from JH as did the original recipe.

Dark Rumballs

¾ cup whole blanched almonds or
½ cup slivered almonds
8 oz bitter or semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sifted icing sugar
¼ cup of rum, almond or orange or raspberry liquer
¼ tsp of vanilla

Toast almonds. Grind into bits using coffee grinder. Melt chocolate with butter. (Can melt in microwave in pyrex glass measuring cup about 2cup size on defrost slowly) Mix in icing sugar, rum, vanilla, and almonds. Refrigerate just until firm enough to roll in balls. Roll rum balls in icing sugar, sprinkles, or Sylvester’s belly fur.

White Rumballs

6 oz white chocolate
8 oz pecans (about 1 ½ cups)
½ cup vanilla wafers
½ cup of grand marnier or orange liquer (cointreau, triple sec, orange brandy)
finely grated peel of one orange
icing sugar

Grind pecans in coffee grinder. Melt chocolate, stir in pecans. Whirl vanilla wafers in food processor until finely ground. Add 1 cup crumbs to chocolate mixture along with booze and peel. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll in balls. Then roll in icing sugar or dryer lint.

Ting Clam Chowder

this is from my friends Lena and Adrian. This is really really really good clam chowder.

5 cans (33 fl oz) chopped clams (the cans are the ones the size of tuna tins or use one large restaurant size plus one small can)
1 bottle clam juice (8 fluid ozs)
1 large onion chopped
2-3 strips bacon chopped
4 Tablespoons flour
1 pint cream
half tsp thyme
quarter tsp ground black pepper
about 3 chicken boullion cubes
about 5 large potatoes diced
chopped fresh parsley for topping
1. Brown bacon 2. Add 1 Tbsp or so of olive oil
3. Add flour and mix up
4. Add all stock from cans and bottle, boullion cubes and potatoes
5. Cook at low - med heat for about 15 minutes
6. Add everything else
7. Warm up
8. Better the second day