Ladyfinger punch balls: raspberry syrup gives them their pink color, not food coloring

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Crush the ladyfingers

   5 min

   Crush the ladyfingers into fine crumbs in a food processor, or place them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin.

2. Mix the center

   10 min

   Mix the butter with the jam and rum, then add the cocoa powder and ladyfinger crumbs. Work into a mixture that holds its shape. If it is too soft, add a few more ladyfinger crumbs; if it crumbles, add a tablespoon of jam.

3. Chill

   30 min

   Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes so it will not stick to your hands.

4. Shape the balls

   15 min

   With damp hands, shape the mixture into balls about 3 cm in diameter and place on parchment paper.

5. Coat with glaze

   20 min

   Sift the powdered sugar and mix with the raspberry syrup, rum, and lemon juice to make a glaze as thick as honey. Use two forks to coat the balls one at a time, then place on parchment paper.

6. Let set

   1 hr

   Let the glaze set at room temperature for at least an hour. Place the balls in paper candy cups, then store in a container in a cool place.

Tip: Keep the glaze as thick as honey; if it is too thin, it will run off the balls, so add a tablespoon of powdered sugar. For children, replace the rum with raspberry syrup.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Punčové guľky z piškót: ružovú farbu im dá malinový sirup, nie farbivo