Swedish Chocolate Balls: CHOKLADBOLLAR

The other night I went to a holiday party where my friend Sue Trowbridge was in attendance. It was a great party with wonderful food, of course, but to add to my chocolate experience, Sue brought her amazing Chokladbollar, a special Swedish holiday treat! I had posted her recipe several years ago, but there's nothing like tasting these Swedish Chocolate Balls again to remind me how great they are. Sue told me that she actually used a different recipe this year! Sue was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and grew up in the U.S. She has maintained her interest in Swedish culture, food, and traditions. This new recipe was enhanced due to the use of specific Swedish ingredients. You can buy them at Nordic House in Berkeley or online. Or use what you have...just not authentically Swedish.

Sue Trowbridge: Chokladbollar

This is a no-bake recipe, and it’s super easy and fun for kids.

You’ll need 10-1/2 tablespoons of softened butter and 1+ cups of sugar. Stir them together well — this step requires strong arms!

The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of strong coffee (liquid). I rarely make coffee at home — I’m mainly a tea gal — but luckily, my parents had left some in the freezer so I had some on hand. Of course, rum is an excellent alternative!

Add the coffee, a teaspoon of vanilla sugar, and 3 tablespoons of cocoa to the butter/sugar mixture.

Add 1 3/4 cups of rolled oats. Stir, stir, stir!

The result looks a little bit like my mom’s Swedish meatball mixture.

Using 1 teaspoon of mixture at a time, roll into small balls. Roll these in coconu or Swedish pearl sugar, coating well. It will make your hands extremely greasy and messy!

The result. You will want to eat them immediately, but don’t — stick ‘em in the fridge for an hour or two, or, in a pinch, the freezer for about half an hour.

I made these to bring to a holiday party, and they disappeared quickly, but then again, so did pretty much everything. Still, I like to imagine that the people who managed to get one enjoyed it.

Here is the recipe in full:

Chokladbollar: Swedish Chocolate Balls

Ingredients
150 g (10 1/2 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
1½ dl (1 cup plus two tablespoons) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, or substitute vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cold, strong coffee or rum
4 dl (1 3/4 cup) rolled oats

Directions
Combine the butter and sugar. I used to do this by hand until I finally got a stand mixer, which makes it WAY easier.
Add the cocoa, vanilla, coffee or rum, and oats.
Form into round balls and roll them in coconut or Swedish pearl sugar (http://bakingbites.com/2010/02/what-is-pearl-sugar/).
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe: https://www.arla.se/recept/chokladbollar/