Nougat Rum Balls

Toast the chopped almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown, then remove and let cool.

Cut the nougat into very small cubes and keep refrigerated until further use.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, sprinkling in the whipped cream stabilizer while whipping.

Break the chocolate sponge into very fine crumbs in a large bowl.

Add the crème fraîche, rum and half of the toasted almonds to the whipped cream and stir briefly.

Add the cream-rum mixture to the sponge crumbs and knead everything into a homogeneous mixture.

Gently fold the nougat cubes into the mixture so they remain as little chunks.

With cool hands, form about 36 balls from the mixture.

Roll the balls in chocolate shavings, cocoa powder or the remaining chopped almonds as desired.

Chill the nougat rum balls for at least 60 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired and arrange in paper praline cups.