Newfoundland Snowballs

Newfoundland Snowballs

  • By Jodi DeLong
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  • Origin Dec/Jan

Of this easy no-bake recipe, Jodi says, “Friends of mine in my hometown of St. John’s, N.L., used to make these delicious stovetop treats around Christmas, and set them out on bone china plates in their living room. I didn’t get the recipe back then, and the recipe my mother made was somehow very different and not, in my mind, up to snuff. Mum’s were more like a macaroon, crumbly and tasty but without the ooey-gooeyness of my friend’s snowballs.

“A few years ago I discovered the correct recipe on Barry Parsons’s Rock Recipes website, and found out the secret to making those chewy delights is to boil the butter, sugar and milk without stirring for five minutes. That may make some people worry, but I’ve never had them stick. I like to make these for fundraisers for my local cat rescue society, to take to gatherings with friends, and gift to people who need a treat. They also freeze like a dream — if you have any left to freeze, that is!”

If you use gluten-free oatmeal, the snowballs are safe for people with gluten issues.

Ingredients

3          cups (750 mL) sugar

¾         cup (175 mL) melted butter

1¼        cups (310 mL) milk

3          cups (750 mL) large rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)

1          cup (250 mL) unsweetened fine coconut

12        tbsp (250 mL) good

            quality cocoa

1½       cups (375 mL) extra coconut to roll the balls

Directions

Combine cocoa, coconut, oatmeal in a bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Heat together gently without stirring over medium heat until boiling, and let boil for 5-6 minutes or until mixture reaches about 225-230 degrees F (110C) on a candy thermometer.

Remove boiled mixture from heat and add to dry ingredients until well combined. Chill well in the fridge, until mixture is able to be shaped into balls. If it’s cold enough outside, I set the pot (covered) on my deck for an hour or so to speed-cool the mixture. You’ll know it’s ready to be scooped when you can roll a tablespoon or so into a ball and it holds its shape.

With a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out the cooled dough and with well buttered hands, roll into balls. Roll each ball in the extra coconut and set out on waxed paper. Makes four to five dozen depending on how big you make them. Keep snowballs in the fridge (or the freezer) as they will hold their shape better than at room temperature.   

Newfoundland Snowballs

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