 Oatmeal balls rolled in shredded coconut | |
| Alternative names | Chokladbollar |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Denmark |
| Main ingredients | Oatmeal,sugar,coffee,cocoa,butter |
Theoatmeal ball (Danish:havregrynskugle) or thechocolate ball (Swedish:chokladboll) is a type of unbaked pastry that is a popularDanish andSwedishconfectionery.
Oatmeal balls consist ofoatmeal, sugar,cocoa,[1]vanilla sugar, butter, and sometimes a small amount of coffee mixed until they become a compact mass. To make them creamier and softer, some people also like to mix in a splash of cream. From the dough, balls are hand-formed to a size usually slightly smaller thangolf balls, then rolled in shreddedcoconut,[1]pearl sugar[2] orsprinkles. The balls can be eaten immediately, but usually they are first chilled in a refrigerator.
Because of the simple, non-bake recipe, oatmeal balls can be quickly made by anyone, which makes them one of the most popular homemade sweets and a common sight at children's parties.
Variations on the oatmeal ball are popular in other countries too. InIsrael,Petit Beurre crumbs take the place of the oatmeal, and the candy is calledKadur Shokolad (Hebrew:כדור שוקולד,lit. 'chocolate ball'). Popular in Austria, especially aroundChristmastime, is theRumkugel (pluralRumkugeln), which contains the same ingredients as oatmeal balls but adds a small amount ofrum to the mix. In the Canadian province ofNewfoundland and Labrador, the snowball is a popularChristmas treat, which uses the same ingredients with the addition ofevaporated milk.
The oatmeal ball was most likely invented duringWorld War II, when, because ofrationing, there was a limited supply ofwheat flour, which caused a search for substitutes. In 1943, the DanishNationaltidende published a small booklet for housewives calledIngenuity in a time of crisis (Danish:Opfindsomhed i en krisetid) containing the recipe forhavregrynskugle.[3] There is also aclassified ad for akonditorei product with the namenegerbollar from 1918 in the Swedish newspaperSvenska Dagbladet. Although the content is unknown, they are described as "chocolate-coco" and are sold in boxes of 300 at 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb).[4]
One traditional name for the pastry in Swedish isnegerboll ("negro ball").[5] Due to possibleracist connotations, this name has fallen out of favor in recent decades, withchokladboll (chocolate ball) now being the most commonly used name. When made with shredded coconut, it is also known askokosboll (coconut ball).
The appropriateness ofnegerboll as the name of the pastry has been the subject of media debate, intensified byneger now generally being considered an ethnic slur, having undergone a similar change in tone to EnglishNegro.[6]Chokladboll was first added to theSwedish Academy'sspelling dictionarySvenska Akademiens ordlista in 2006, with onlynegerboll being listed prior. In the 13th (2006) edition, the pastry can be found under both names, with a comment thatchokladboll is the recommended term.[7] In the 14th edition (2015)negerboll was removed.[8][9]
In mid-2003, a bakery owner fromSjöbo was reported to the SwedishOmbudsman against Ethnic Discrimination for using the wordnegerboll on a sign in her bakery shop.[10] However, the case was dismissed since the person reporting it did not consider herself personally insulted.
Note that the Danish wordnegerbolle is a similarly dated term for a similar but different confection, namely theflødebolle.
det sfäriska bakverk som vanligen är rullat i kokos eller pärlsocker, som många kallar chokladboll eller kokosboll idag.[the spherical pastry which is normally rolled in shredded coconut or pearl sugar, which many call chocolate ball or shredded-coconut-ball today.]
