Living aboard the S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen is a grand adventure. It does however, come with it's own particular quirks and one of these is a lack of an oven. It is rarely missed and I have adapted many a recipe to the grill! Cookies, however, are sorely missed during the holidays. Marianna and I are slowly building up a collection of no-bake cookies. Some are stovetop oriented while others are chilled. This year's favorite (so far!) are Key Lime Snowballs - delicious!
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
(about 4 sheets, crushed)
6 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
(fat free works, too)
1 Tbsp grated Key Lime rind
(must buy new grater, X-Mas list perhaps?)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh Key Lime juice
(if Key Limes are unavailable, use Persians.)
1 tsp vanilla
(when did vanilla get so expensive?)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided
(with a good grater I might - I said might, Marianna! - try a fresh coconut but then additional sugar or maybe flour for thickening may be needed)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
(the snow portion of the snowballs, I suppose)
Combine crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, rind, juice, and vanilla. If you are of Marianna's frame of mind, you'll use your hands, if you are like me this is why wooden spoons were invented. Add 2/3 cup coconut and beat briskly for 1 minute. It should no longer feel 'grainy' but will give the appearance of mittens if you are still using your hands to mix. Add remaining sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating until well combined, or dough pulls away from hands and is able to form a large ball. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
Roll dough *using hands now* into balls about the size of quarters. Roll in remaining 1/3 cup coconut and additional powdered sugar if balls feel wet.
Makes 24 Snowballs.