I love any recipe that requires a hammer, and no baking !

Tonight I deck a rum ball tree! I've been waiting all week for this, and the time has come to smash Bud's Best Vanilla Wafers to smithereens! I just love any recipe that requires a hammer, and to make rum balls you have to crumble some cookies.

I suppose in the kitchen, the civilized way would be to use a mallet, or a rolling pin, but screw that . . . I'm using a regulation size hammer. Bye, bye Bud's Best . . . you sure looked purty in your package, sporting that proud "Made in the U.S.A." flag.

My weapon of choice --

Okay, it is a "Light Duty 13 oz" (I'm not sure if that is "regulation size") hammer, but it is a Stanley, and it is Made in the U.S.A too -- Yee Haw!

So here's the recipe -

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup brandy or rum

1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed very fine

2 cups finely chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

Directions

1. In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt evaporated milk and chocolate chips, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the crushed vanilla wafers and brandy until well blended. Roll the dough into small balls and roll the balls in chopped walnuts (or not), then in confectioners' sugar. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Notice it says "crush very fine", but it doesn't tell you *how* to crush them . . . You might try running over them with your car or tractor (though somehow I don't think tractor tires would do a very good job), or you could try a food processor (boring), or you could just whack the hell out of them the old fashioned way . . . which leads me to believe an iron skillet might do a fine crushing job as well.

I was able to get all my aggressions out with a hammer until my downstairs neighbors started mimicking my hammering with a broomstick on their ceiling . . . and it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet!

Now, my Bud's Best cookies from Dollar Tree come in a 10 oz. package, so I'll have to scale down my recipe a bit, but that's okay, 'cuz I got plans to make all sorts of other balls with other stuff I've accumulated. I might even make some of these . . .

But, I digress . . .

What crumbled cookie bits you choose to make your balls with, and what you choose to roll them in is completely up to you - I mean, it is a free country right?

There are lots of options available at the Dollar Store -- almond cookies -- rolled in coconut and almonds, peanut butter cookies rolled in peanuts and Reese's Pieces, or even mint cookies rolled in candy canes.

Make a bunch and make a rum ball tree, much the same way as the Astro Weenie Christmas Tree. Have fun, and don't piss off the neighbors! Well, maybe just a little . . .