My mother made these Brandy Balls every year at Christmas
time as I was growing up. I love them because they are not just sweet, but rich
in Brandy. I now make them every year as my own family tradition. I adapt the ingredients
depending on what's at hand, and some years I have had to use dark Rum and
currants. They turned out fine, but I prefer the Brandy and the sultanas.
Something I do for the kids, is replace the brandy with orange juice. It becomes a Jaffa ball.90g butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cocoa
120g sugar
2-3 tbsps Brandy or Sherry
2 tsp vanilla
1 plain stale cake
1 cup sultanas (soak them in Brandy overnight)
1 cup coconut
In a saucepan mix the butter, sugar, egg, cocoa, Brandy and vanilla. Cook stirring constantly until thick - about 10 minutes.
Put the cake into a large bowl and break up into crumbs. Add the soaked sultanas and mix. Pour the butter/cocoa mixture over the dry goods and mix thoroughly. Roll into small balls then roll in coconut and leave to set. They will last a few weeks in a sealed container. Put them in the fridge on really hot humid days. If using orange juice instead of brandy, they will only last a couple of days.
