Not everybody always has an oven at their disposal (especially students) and at times like those it's good to know that you can still make delicious cakes and cookies (or even bread!). And of course, a baker's worst nightmare is their oven failing on Christmas day! These Swedish creamy chocolate and coffee mini cakes can be your salvation, and are made with ingredients that you usually have in your pantry. These are also great to make with kids over the holidays as a fun activity, but you might want to consider using caffeine free coffee or mocha extract!
In Sweden and around the world there are several varieties to this "chokladboll". In Göteborg the boll is rolled in coconut rather than nib sugar. It can also be made with little to no cocoa and be called a "havreboll" (literally oatmeal ball). In Germany we find a boozy variety in Rumkugeln and an extra delicate version in Portugal, the brigadeiro. The traditional Swedish version is however made with oatmeal, coffee, sugar, cocoa, butter and nib sugar. This recipe also uses vanilla sugar.
Don't just make and eat this Swedish delicacy when you're in a pinch, but also add it to a lovely fika spread, as the Swedes like to do. I will always promote fika, it's the best thing ever to come out of Sweden (okay, maybe outside of IKEA and Pippi Longstocking and..well there's too many good things out of Sweden). You can be creative with the topping, use coconut or sprinkles for example. Use vegan butter for a vegan version. Great with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate!
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Recipe Swedish Chokladbollar
yields: 30 mini cakes
-100gr butter or margarine
-1 tbsp vanilla sugar
-90gr sugar
-3 tbsp cocoa
-3 tbps strong, cold coffee (I used espresso)
-130gr oatmeal
-nib sugar or shredded coconut for decoration
1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla sugar.
2. Add the cocoa and mix until well incorporated.
3. Blend in the oats and coffee until everything is incorporated.
4. Roll the mixture into 30 small balls. Decorate each ball by slightly pushing them in your desired topping until covered.
5. Refridgerate until set (about 1 hour).
Labels: Budget-Friendly, Cake, Cheap, Chocolate, Christmas, Gluten-Free, Mini, Nib Sugar, Student-Friendly, Swedish
