Bourbon ball update: My friend Janet made these but substituted Anna’s gingerbread cookies for Nilla wafers (the thin ones, like you find at Ikea) and they were even better. Fantastic, even!
In an attempt to fulfill a reader’s request for something resembling her mother’s bourbon ball recipe, I went deep into my collection of mid-century cookbooks. I pawed over various plastic ring-bound Junior League cookbooks from places like Houston and Charleston. (I chanced that the Stamps Arkansas Presbyterian Church Cookbook might have one, but I should’ve known better.) I read through a cookbook in honor of a woman named “Hattie,” and visited many websites of bourbon manufacturers.
We weren’t a bourbon ball family when I was growing up. As far as spheroid party food, we went for the cheese ball covered in chopped red and green pistachios and always served with stoned wheat thin crackers. (Those were company crackers. Ritz were the every day choice.) But I digress, I learned there are two distinct types of bourbon ball out there. There’s a simple crushed cookie-nut-cocoa-sugar variety, and a chocolate-dipped version with a nut buttercream filling. I opted for the more classic version, thinking that was more likely what a mom in the 1950s would make. No need to fuss with chocolate dipping.
After reading many different recipes and comparing ratios of sugar, nuts and bourbon, I ended up tweaking the Joy of Cooking’s recipe from a 1962 version of the cookbook. For one, I added more bourbon.
Don’t drink alcohol but like the taste of bourbon? There are a number of alcohol-free bourbons available on the market these days, all part of an alcohol-free spirits trend. I have not tried any of them, but a quick search online turns up a number of interesting-sounding suggestions.
I’ll be bringing these to a holiday party tomorrow night (Hi, Jen! Look surprised!), with a little sign, so people know just what they’re in store for. These boozy little balls should come with a designated driver.
You can play around with this here recipe to suit your tastes.
You could use less bourbon! You may need to add more water and corn syrup to make up for the lack of moisture.
Of course you can substitute rum.
You could substitute cinnamon graham crackers for the Nilla wafers.
Chop the nuts fine or leave them a bit chonky. You choose!
Store in a cool place for up to two weeks.
You could package up all those bourbon balls as gifts. You know what else would be good? Cut them up and fold them into softened vanilla ice cream. Refreeze and then serve with caramel or hot fudge sauce for a wicked dessert.
Makes about 3 dozen
11 ounces (1 box) vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup or corn syrup (plus more if necessary, see notes)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon cocoa
In a food processor (or in a zipper bag with a rolling pin and some pent-up feelings), pulverize the vanilla wafers until fine.
In a large bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa. Stir in the crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, golden (or corn) syrup and the bourbon until everything is evenly moistened. Roll a test ball. Does it stick together nicely, or does it crumble too easily? If they crumble, just toss them back into the bowl, add a tablespoon more corn syrup/golden syrup and mix well. Try again. Repeat if necessary. When the mixture is just right, Goldilocks, roll it into 1” balls.
In a small bowl, sift together the 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cocoa. Roll each ball into the confectioners’ sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight tin in a cool place until ready to consume.
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