The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer Is Rolling Bourbon into a Sphere!



For many years one of my holiday traditions is to make bourbon balls.  I always get requests for the recipe, so here it is, adapted from "A Cooking Affair" by Jan Bertoglio and Jo Le Hudson, 1984, p. 286.

Steve's Famous Balls

5 dozen vanilla wafers (a typical 11 oz box contains about 7 dozen vanilla wafers)
1 cup pecans
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 to 3/4 cup bourbon (you can guess which end of the spectrum I end up on)

Using a food processor, crush the vanilla wafers in batches yielding 2 1/2 cups of finely crushed cookie crumbs.  Finely chop the pecans in the food processor; then, combine the crushed wafers and chopped pecans in a large bowl.

Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar and corn syrup.  Blend the bourbon into the chocolate mixture, stirring until well-combined.  Add the bourbon-chocolate mixture to the crushed wafers and nuts.  Mix well.  If dough is too wet to handle, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls, rolling each in powdered sugar.  Store refrigerated in a covered container, but let them warm up a bit prior to sharing.  Makes about 3-4 dozen, depending on the size of your balls.

The big question you might have is which bourbon?  I've used several over the years, and it really depends on the taste you want to achieve.  Jim Beam will have a very pronounced bite.  Buffalo Trace with its more wheated mash bill will yield a more subtle flavor.  I have settled on Maker's Mark as a good choice for strong bourbon flavor without the Beam bite.  There's no point using the higher proofed cask-strength bourbons, and save the small-batch bourbons for sipping.

Follow the directions above, and soon your friends and family will be raving about your balls.  Enjoy!

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