Chocolate rum snowballs

Put the Nilla wafers in the food processor with the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and mini dark chocolate chips; pulse until finely ground.

Add the maple syrup and just over a third of a cup of dark rum; pulse. It will seem dry at first; add more rum only if it stays too dry, since too much makes balls that will not hold their shape.

Pulse to a relatively stiff but moldable texture; transfer to a bowl.

Scoop portions and roll into smooth balls, not too big.

Variation: toss the balls in powdered sugar until coated as lightly or heavily as wanted, or roll in cocoa and call them rum balls.

Melt white chocolate in a bowl over hot water (or a microwave, though some white chocolate burns that way); chill the rolled balls a while first.

Drop a rum ball into the white chocolate, coat it using a couple of forks and let most of the excess drip off.

Transfer to finely shredded coconut, cover thoroughly, press gently into a final shape and move to a plate.

Once firm, trim or pull off unsightly strands; wrap tightly and keep in the fridge until serving. The longer they sit, the better.

Arrange on a moss mat with twigs and leaves, or any plate, and dust everything with powdered sugar.