Cooking Lesson #549: Grandpa’s Christmas Whisky Balls

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen

How you doin’? I wish I could tell you this was Pappy’s old world recipe, but it isn’t. Grandpa Max owned a moving and storage company in New York City, not a candy store. Max drank scotch and not Kentucky Bourbon. That said, you can make this recipe using scotch, rum or even a full-bodied bottle of a dry red wine in place of Bourbon… as you like!
 
A bourbon ball is a Southern delicacy reportedly invented by Ruth Hanly Booe of Rebecca Ruth Candy in 1938.
 
Bourbon balls come in many different shapes, sizes and flavors but are usually bite-sized confections incorporating bourbon and dark chocolate as the main ingredients. In Rebecca Ruth's recipe, the center piece of the bourbon ball is a creamy candy dough that is infused with bourbon and other secret ingredients. The creamy center is then enrobed in dark chocolate and topped off with a southern pecan.
 
The most common variation for home cooked recipes is regional to the southern United States and incorporates crushed cookies, corn syrup, chopped pecans and bourbon into a mixture that is formed into balls and coated in powdered sugar to prevent the evaporation of the alcohol. Once molded they are aged for up to a week in a sealed container in a cool dark place before serving. They will stay edible for up to a month before becoming too frail to pick up in one piece as the evaporation process desiccates the packed structure of the cookie.
 
Using other types of alcohol one can make rum balls, flavored vodka balls or liqueur balls. No matter which liquor you choose, I can tell you it isn't Christmas without Max’s Whisky Balls. People love ‘em and they’ll go fast!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  2 minutes
Additional curing time:  7 days
 
Ingredients 
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard chocolate)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn syrup (I tested with Karo)
1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon (slightly warmed)
2-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
Additional crushed nuts, or jimmies for coating (optional)
 
Directions

1. Place chocolate chips, sugar and corn syrup into a medium microwave-safe bowl.
2. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
3. Blend in the warm bourbon.
4. Add the crushed graham crackers and chopped pecans.
5. Mix until evenly distributed.
6. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
7. Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls.
8. Roll the chilled balls in a mixture of ground nuts and confectioner's sugar, or jimmies, or plain confectioner's sugar.
9. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

ChefSecret: If you’re looking for something really chocolatey, use Oreos sandwich cookies (pulsed in a food processor) instead of graham crackers. You can also dip Whisky Balls in a melted chocolate couverture.

Quip of the Day: If you hold a glass of Kentucky Whisky to your ear, you can actually hear the weekend… of course it’s a little clearer after you have the first one!
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

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