White Chocolate, Apricot, & Nut Balls

White chocolate is one of those things that I never get tired of. It mixes well with a wide variety of flavors. It also stands out when mixed into different textures. It can be eaten on its own, like these amazing Lindt truffles I tried yesterday at my job. It can also be eaten in frosting, in cookies, in cakes, in brownies, in just about anything sweet/dessert-related that you can possibly think of. White chocolate also combines well in these fast and easy-to-make cookies that are more like truffles, except without the outer chocolate covering. These little balls from The Ultimate Cookie Book are made up of melted white chocolate, shortbread cookies, macadamia nuts, and apricots. They're slightly crunchy, but have a chewy texture at the same time. "These soft yet crispy cookie balls are totally irresistible - no oven required," which makes these super approachable by everyone that's either oven-friendly or not. A secret ingredient in these will make you never forget them: "White creme de cacao is a clear, chocolate-flavor liqueur with a hint of vanilla. It adds unbeatable flavor to these cookies."

White Chocolate, Apricot, & Nut Balls
*makes 48 balls*

Ingredients:
3 oz white chocolate baking squares, cut up
1/4 cup light-color corn syrup
2 to 3 tbsp white creme de cacao
2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs
1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
1/3 cup snipped dried apricots
powdered sugar

Directions:
1) In a small saucepan heat and stir white chocolate over low heat until smooth; remove from heat. Add the corn syrup and creme de cacao; stir until combined.
2) In a large bowl stir together cookie crumbs, nuts, and dried apricots. Stir in chocolate mixture until combined. Shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar to coat. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and let stand until dry. Before serving, roll cookies again in powdered sugar.