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Graham balls
No-bake Filipino sweets of crushed graham crackers and condensed milk with a marshmallow centre
Graham balls are often the first sweet a Filipino child makes, usually for a class party or a cousin's birthday: crushed graham crackers kneaded with condensed milk into a dough, wrapped round a mini marshmallow and rolled in more crumbs, then set in paper cases in the fridge. They need no oven, just clean hands. They contain gluten and milk, and marshmallows usually contain gelatine, so they are not vegetarian unless you use gelatine-free marshmallows or a vegetarian gelling agent version. Graham crackers can be swapped for digestive biscuits. Chef's tip: chill the mixture for 20 minutes before rolling and it stops sticking to your palms.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ⅜ oz mini marshmallows
- 1 ⅜ oz graham cracker crumbskept back from the crushed crackers
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Crush 9 oz graham crackers or digestive biscuits into fine crumbs in a food processor, or in a strong bag with a rolling pin. Set aside 1 ⅜ oz graham cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl.
Step 2: Mix the rest of the crumbs with ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk in a bowl until it forms a soft dough that holds together when squeezed. If it's too sticky add a spoonful more crumbs; if dry, a little more milk. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Take a heaped teaspoon of dough (about 15 g), flatten it in your palm, put 2–3 pieces of 1 ⅜ oz mini marshmallows in the middle and roll into a smooth ball, sealing the marshmallow inside. The common mistake is leaving marshmallow showing: it dries out and the ball cracks.
Step 4: Roll each ball in the coating crumbs and set in mini paper cases. Makes about 20.
Step 5: Chill for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Keep in a covered box in the fridge for up to 5 days.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 105 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does graham balls take?
- About 30 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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