During my annual Summer escape this year, I made the journey back home to Australia and New Zealand. It was supposed to be dedicated time to “plan our wedding”, but turned out being a great time to reveal to everyone that we had already eloped 18-months prior and actually enjoy my long holiday. Bonus time, I say.

Anyway, whilst in New Zealand, Andrew and I enjoyed a perfect balance of catching up with friends, me being a tourist, and his sister’s perfectly timed August wedding. Meanwhile, hectic wedding plans and arrangements were still coming together for the wedding, and my mother-in-law managed to whip up these incredible chocolate truffles cum rum balls to cater for the hordes. Seriously, this power woman was entertaining other long travelled guests, wedding planning and catching up with her long distance son and daughter-in-law all at the same time, and still managed to make these incredible balls of awesome!

Proclaiming that I would not have time to eat during the wedding in my official photographer’s role, I nabbed my share of truffles in the days prior to the ceremony, which was not necessarily a good thing. Poor Karene had to make a whole lot more after satisfying naughty childrens’ appetites and we were addicted! Knowing that we would never get such foods through border security crossing back through Australia to get home, I quickly snapped up the recipe to bring back to Dubai for a special Christmas treat.

Karene’s Chocolate Truffles

100g butter
2 cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup chopped sultanas
¾ cup coconut
extra coconut, for rolling

Optional flavourings
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1-2 tbs rum
1 tbs Cointreau or other liqueur

Cream the butter, warming it a little as necessary, to make it soft enough to work with. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa, and mix.

Chop the sultanas on a board, with some of the coconut. This makes the sticky cut fruit easier to hande. Mix the coconut and cut fruit into the butter mixture and add extra flavourings if desired. Chill the mixture if necessary to make it easier to handle. Form into small balls with a teaspoon, and roll into more coconut.

Place the finished balls on a tray, flat plate or in little paper cups, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours or until really firm then store in a jar or tin in the fridge. Put layers of parchment paper in between if many are made and remove from the fridge just before serving. YUMMY!

For my Muslim friends, I loaded up a batch with 1 tsp of vanilla, which was quite strong but still gave a unique flavourful kick.

Best enjoyed with great friends, a cup of coffee, or….a discerning Arab cat.