KL, rum balls aren't cooked though (well, not to my knowledge anyway), so it would have all the alcohol content of the rum, but I thought cooked alcohol was greatly reduced. Hmm, thank you LMS.

I just found this on the internet now, trying to research this question. From a site called exploratorium.edu "the accidental scientist, science of cooking". Now, lets see if I can quote this thing properly. I always have trouble doing this kind of thing...

Alcohol?s boiling point is lower than that of water, and many cooks assume that little or none of its potency remains after cooking. Research tells a different story.

Cooked food can retain from 5 to 85 percent of the original alcohol. The amount of alcohol left depends on how the dish is prepared, when the alcohol is added, and how thoroughly it?s incorporated with other ingredients.

In general, the longer the cooking time, the less the amount of alcohol that remains. Fast methods of cooking, such as flamb?ing, leave about 75 percent of the alcohol in the food. In contrast, a dish that has been baked or simmered for fifteen minutes contains about 40 percent of the original alcohol. After two hours of cooking, roughly 10 percent of the alcohol remains.

If you wish to avoid alcohol in cooking, there are substitutes, but substitutes don?t contribute the same depth of flavors as liqueurs and wines. Use 7/8 cup of meat or vegetable broth (or apple, tomato, or white grape juice) for each cup of wine in a savory dish. To mimic wine?s acidity, add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or vinegar. In desserts, replace the wine with fruit juice plus a dash of balsamic vinegar. If a recipe calls for orange liqueur, try frozen orange juice concentrate and the grated zest of fresh orange instead.