We simply must have rum balls

Full disclosure: I made these for the retirement party of a curmudgeon at work, even though he barely knew me and no one else made anything home made for his catered party. The truth was I only wanted an excuse to offer some to my gentleman friend -- before he was my gentleman friend. There. Now you know all.

More sophisticated versions of the rum ball exist, in which we toast the nuts first, or roll the final product in cocoa, but even the sophisticated versions allow that rum balls in their basic purity first became very popular in the 1960s. So, let's return to an impeccably retro source, shall we? These "Brandy balls" come from the Good Housekeeping cookbook of 1963. The original recipe calls for half brandy, half rum, but I contented myself with all rum. Note the quantity of liquor, and please eat responsibly. Enjoy your weekend.

Retro rum balls

• 2 (7 oz.) packages (or 1 large box) vanilla wafers, crushed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2/3 cup rum
• 1 pound (2 cups) ground nuts of your choice -- I used pecans and walnuts, and I wonder, would peanuts taste good? 
• Granulated sugar

Combine the wafers, honey, rum, and nuts. Form into small balls, and roll in granulated sugar. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap. "The flavor improves with holding! Makes about 5 dozen delicious balls."  I'll say.