Israeli chocolate “balls” are simple, no-bake cocoa, butter and tea biscuits cookies truffles rolled in shredded coconut beloved by all Israelis. It was first introduced in the 1970’s in a popular kids cookbook by Ruth Sirkis, a book that soon became a classic and was available at most homes. It was definitely one of my favorite recipes in the book, and I was not the only one.
My assumption is that Sirkis was inspired by the Swedish Chokladbollar or the Danish Havregrynskugler, chocolate balls that use the exact same ingredients, except for oats instead of the tea biscuits.
It’s a fun recipe to make with kids and to enjoy childhood simple pleasures. It’s still a favorite at my house.
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minutesIsraeli chocolate “balls” are no-bake truffles rolled in shredded coconut.
The much beloved truffles are made with very few and simple ingredients: cocoa powder, sugar, butter and tea biscuits.
Use the video at the bottom for reference.
*Note: Tea biscuits, it needs to be clarified, are the type of thin cookies popular in Europe (in France they’re called petit beurre) and the Middle East. Click on the links to see the type of tea biscuits I’m referring to. You can buy it online, but you can usually find these at chain supermarkets in the USA, in the cookie or the kosher isles.
Recipe adapted from Ruth Sirkis book Children Cooking.
INGREDIENTS
7 oz. tea biscuits (*see note above)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (4½ oz) granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1½ cups shredded coconut
DIRECTIONS
- Put tea biscuits in a bag, close the bag and crush with a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer to create oat-sized crumbs. They don’t need to be even, and they should not be too small (see the video.)
- Put the crumbs in a bowl, add sugar and cocoa powder and mix.
- Add milk, vanilla extract and butter and mix again, preferably using your hands. With gloves. It’s messy!
- Put coconut in a bowl.
- Use your hands to roll 1 inch size balls. Roll each ball in coconut and put in a cupcake liner or directly on a rimmed platter.
- Cover tray with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight before serving. Chocolate balls keep in the fridge up to 4 days.
