Combine vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is finely ground.

Add maple syrup and rum. Pulse until mixture comes together to form a stiff, but moldable dough. If mixture is too dry to scoop and roll balls, add more rum, a little at a time, and pulse again, until the proper texture is reached.

Scoop out portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. The ideal size is between 1 and 1 1/2 inches. Place on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the white chocolate coating.

Place coconut in a shallow bowl; set aside.

Place a heat-proof (metal or glass) bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water over low heat. Reserve about 20% of white chocolate to stir in later; place the rest in the bowl, and let sit, without stirring, until almost all the pieces are melted. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the chocolate should read 105 degrees F (41 degrees C). Add in reserved white chocolate, and stir until smooth and runny.

Drop a rum ball into white chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll it around to coat, then lift out, letting excess chocolate drip off. Drop into the bowl of coconut; toss to coat. Using your hands, do the final shaping, pressing coconut lightly into coating. Transfer to a plate. Repeat until all rum balls are coated. Place the bowl of white chocolate back over hot water if it begins to harden.

Wrap and refrigerate until needed. Rum balls are best made ahead and left to “age.” Can be made a week or more ahead, as long as they are kept tightly wrapped.