Marzipan Rum Balls

Put the raisins in warm water for a few minutes. When soft remove them from the water and pat them dry. Put them in a glass jar and cover them with the rum. Let them soak for 24 hours.

The following day, put the almond meal and icing sugar in a big bowl. Mix them well and add the almond essence (optional) and the water slowly while kneading with your hands. When you get a smooth and pliable dough, your marzipan is ready.

Roll the marzipan into a 1 cm thick sheet. You can do this on baking paper to prevent it from sticking to the bench top. Cut some circles with a diameter of approximately 4 cm. Put 3 raisins on half of the circles and cover them with the remaining circles. Press the sides well to make sure they do not come apart and then roll them with your hands into roundish shapes. Keep aside.

In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate and dip the top part of the marzipan sweets in it. Let the chocolate dry. They are now ready to serve.

To keep this dairy-free, be sure to purchase dark chocolate which does not contain milk.