Chocolateballs

Chocolateballs basic recipe that can of course be modified according to taste and liking. A must at the childrens party and "fika".

Chocolate balls are very easy to make and require no baking. Just mix all the ingredients into a batter, shape into balls, roll in pearl sugar and then let cool in the fridge. It is a perfect recipe for children who want to help in the kitchen, although it can be a lot to clean up afterwards. :)

Chocolate ball, also called coconut ball or oat ball, is an unbaked pastry, whose main ingredients are butter, oatmeal, sugar and cocoa, often garnished with coconut flakes, pearl sugar or sprinkles. The chocolate balls are not baked, but cooled in the refrigerator. Chocolate balls are common as homemade goodies and are included in the standard range at Swedish cafes. A recipe for chocolate balls appears in Svenska Dagbladet on December 14, 1943. A similar recipe for "oatmeal balls" appears in the Danish book "Opfindsomhed i en krisetid" from the same year. There is a possibility that these were made as early as 1918, but the content of the balls sold then is not completely clear.

I usually use Valrhona cocoa as it is tastier than the regular cocoa you find in the store so the amount of cocoa may need to be adjusted if you use another variant. Normally I also use espresso to give the recipe an even deeper coffee taste.

When I make these, I usually make them a little bigger than the chocolate balls I remember from childhood, so count on 12-15 balls, but of course there can be both more and fewer depending on how big balls you make.

I expect about 30 minutes for the butter to soften and for the coffee to cool before I start mixing the ingredients.

Like so many other pastries, this one has its own day. The 11th of May celebrates Chocolate Ball Day in Sweden.

Some possible modifications:

• Use pearl sugar, sprinkles or chopped nuts instead of coconut flakes.
• Roll the chocolate ball in cocoa or icing sugar.
• Replace all or part of the sugar with honey.
• To make it child-friendly - replace the coffee with water.
• For even more adult taste - replace the coffee with Baileys, Kahlua, cognac or any other spirit that would suit well.
• You can brown the butter for a nutty / caramel taste. Just make sure to replace all the liquid that disappears when you brown the butter with water otherwise it will be a dry batter.
• Grate some dark chocolate (25-50 grams) and mix into the batter.
• Mix oatmeal into a coarse flour for an even more compact ball.