These scrumptious chocolate balls are a firm favourite in the Christmas cookies selection of my family and very popular in the entire country. They’re called Schokoladekugeln Myrta and originate from the first Betty Bossi cookie cookbook called Guezle mit Betty Bossi. This very popular book had been out of stock for more than 15 years now despite being highly sought after by Swiss hobby bakers, but apparently it’s back in stock now.
These chocolate balls are being dried overnight while still raw and then only baked a few minutes at a very high temperature. This means that the cookies are baked outside but still soft inside, which makes them so very irresistible. My own family recipe is made with Kirsch liqueur. You can’t taste the alcohol at all but it makes the chocolate flavour more intense. It’s not a lot of Kirsch – my children have been eating these cookies ever since they were toddlers.
Recipe
- 3 eggs
- 300g caster sugar
- 200g dark chocolate
- 300g grated almonds
- 3 tbsps corn starch
- 2 tbsps Kirsch liqueur (optional)
Method
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until foamy. Melt the chocolate and stir it into the mixture. Add the almonds, corn starch and the Kirsch if you like. Mix until combined and let the dough rest in the fridge until cold and firm (2-3 hours).
Once the dough is firm make dough balls the size of walnuts – it’s a messy activity but one that kids love to take part in. Place the balls onto a baking parchment covered baking tray. Let them dry overnight at room temperature, or if you’re in a hurry, let them rest in the freezer for one hour. If you can, put them outside in the cold for an hour before baking which helps them stay ball shaped. But don’t worry if you don’t have the time for it, they will still turn out delicious, if a little flatter.
Bake at 250 C for 3-5 minutes. As soon as they start building little cracks, take them out of the oven. Let them cool down on the tray and only remove them once cool.
