Chocolate & oats balls - Havregrynskugler / Chokoladbollar
All Scandinavian kids know this basic chocolate treat recipe. It requires no baking and is super-quick to make. In Sweden and Norway, these are made all year round, but in Denmark, made mainly for the festive season
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. 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 200 g/7 oz. each) and flavour each one at the end.
We’ve included some favourite variations below, but this recipe is perfect for experimentation.
Servings: 30 to 40 pieces
Ingredients
- 250 grams butter softened
- 400 grams rolled oats
- 150 grams icing/confectioners' sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder - can be bought here
- 4 tablespoons brewed strong coffee cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar - can be bought here
Instructions
- 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 sugar, desiccated coconut or sprinkles.
- Flavours and coverings:
- Orange: This one is for the grown-ups. Add 2 tablespoons Cointreau and 1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest to 200 g/7 oz. of your mixture. Roll in chocolate sprinkles.
- Almond: Another grown up one. Add 2 tablespoons Amaretto to 200 g/7 oz. of your mixture, then roll in toasted, chopped almonds.
- Raspberry: Children can enjoy this one. Add 1 tablespoon raspberry jam/preserves to 200 g/7 oz. of your mixture. Roll in freeze-dried raspberry pieces or chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
From the book ScandiKitchen Christmas by Bronte Aurell, photo by Pete Cassidy. Book available on Amazon or ScandiKitchen.
