Vanilla Rum Balls

The following recipe is a spin-off from a recipe given to me by my former colleague Sharon Ponchak. Although I tweaked the recipe to make it my own, I don't think I deserve full credit for this one. If memory serves me right, I believe this recipe was handed down to Sharon by her Nana.

Here's what you need:

• 2 1/2 cups nilla wafers
• 1 cup or 1 8oz package of slivered almonds
• 1 six ounce package of white chocolate morsels (chips)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lite corn syrup
• 1/3 cup of your favorite rum. (Baccardi light is recommended)
• Powdered sugar (for dusting off the rum balls)

First, crush the vanilla wafers with a rolling pin and reserve in a large bowl. Then, in a food processor or blender, break up your slivered almonds into tiny chunks. If it crushes up a little, that's okay, just do not grind it into powder. Next, melt the vanilla morsels in a double boiler. Once the morsels are melted, stir in the sugar, corn syrup, the rum and the almonds and combine with your crushed vanilla wafers and mix well.
Take a small portion of the mixture and roll in into a ball shape in the palm of your hand. In a cookie sheet, or flat pan, pour enough powdered sugar to cover the bottom of the pan and place each finished rum ball in the pan. Once all of the rum balls are made and placed in the pan, roll the balls in the powdered sugar until they look like little snow balls. Once they are done, place them in an air-tight container and refrigerate for about an hour.
Enjoy!