All Scandinavian kids know this basic chocolate treat recipe, says Brontë Aurell. It requires no baking and is super-quick to make, as it’s essentially butter, cocoa and sugar.
In Sweden and Norway, these are made all year round, but they’re usually kept for the festive season in Denmark. Make these ahead and keep them in the fridge, as they last for a week or so.
“I tend to make a few batches and flavour them for different tastes, either flavouring the balls as I make them or rolling them in flavoured coverings,” says Aurell. “Colourful sprinkles and gentle flavours suit kids, but for a grown-up version, alcohol and more coffee work well.
“Make a large quantity, split the mixture into several batches (I normally do four batches of around 200g each) and flavour each one at the end. I’ve included some favourite variations below, but this recipe is perfect for experimentation.”
Chocolate and oat balls
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 250 g butter plus 2tbs, softened
- 400 g rolled oats
- 150 g icing/confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder (heaped)
- 4 tbsp brewed strong coffee cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
Method
- Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until you have a good, uniform mixture. I usually do it in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but this isn’t difficult to do by hand.
- Make equal-sized balls (usually the size of a whole walnut), then roll in your chosen covering (see below), before chilling in the fridge. The traditional treat is simply rolled in pearl/nibbed sugar, desiccated/dried shredded coconut or hundreds and thousands/sprinkles.
Flavours and coverings
- ORANGE – This one is for the grown-ups only. Add two tablespoons of Cointreau and 1/4 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to 200g of your mixture. Roll in chocolate sprinkles.
- ALMOND – Another adults-only one. Add two tablespoons of Amaretto to 200g of your mixture, then roll in toasted, chopped almonds.
- RASPBERRY – Children can enjoy this one. Add one tablespoon of raspberry jam/preserve to 200g of your mixture. Roll in freeze-dried raspberry pieces or chocolate sprinkles.
Nutrition
ScandiKitchen Christmas by Brontë Aurell, photography Peter Cassidy is published by Ryland Peters & Small.
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