medtran49
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These are not traditional Bourbon balls in that they are a candy rather than cookie/cake like. I haven't made these in years so no picture. It was my mother's recipe and I have no idea where it came from.
She would buy Christmas cookie tins and tiny little paper muffin-type cups that fit each cookie/candy. It got to where people would bring the tins back for refills!
If I remember correctly, you get about 48 balls.
You can also use the base recipe, without the Bourbon, to make flavored butter cream candies. You can use extracts and/or a combination of extracts and appropriate liqueurs.
NOTES: Bourbon - Do NOT use a premium sipping Bourbon. I did once for my dad and you could barely taste the Bourbon. Don't use rot gut, but something like regular Wild Turkey.
Use margarine. Mother always used Imperial. I tried butter once and they softened too quickly, so I went back to Imperial.
Chocolate coating - Back in the day, chocolate coating bits weren't available to a home cook. So, we used one of the large Hershey chocolate bars and paraffin for canning purposes to thin out the chocolate, melted in a double boiler. Last time I made these, I did use a commercial chocolate coating and it was way too thick. I ended up having to get some paraffin to thin it down. You want a very thin shell, maybe 1-2 mm thick.
INGREDIENTS
1 stick margarine, melted
1 box 10X/icing/powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp Bourbon depending on how strong you want them
Good pinch of salt
Whole pecan pieces
Chocolate coating/paraffin if needed
Mix salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and Bourbon. Stir together until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Using a scoop, form 1-inch balls and place each ball on a pecan half, pressing gently to adhere. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. We would often make them 1 day, then dip the next.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate coating. Remove a dozen or so balls at a time to dip. Do a few at a time so they don't soften because they will slip off the dipper. Using a fondue fork, skewer the Bourbon ball toward the bottom, dip in the chocolate, swirl to completely coat, remove and place on a wax or parchment paper lined tray, using a second fork to push them off the dipper fork. You may have to reheat the chocolate if it starts to cool too much and thicken. Once you are done, place tray with balls in refrigerator so coating totally hardens, then balls may be placed in a plastic container for storage.
She would buy Christmas cookie tins and tiny little paper muffin-type cups that fit each cookie/candy. It got to where people would bring the tins back for refills!
If I remember correctly, you get about 48 balls.
You can also use the base recipe, without the Bourbon, to make flavored butter cream candies. You can use extracts and/or a combination of extracts and appropriate liqueurs.
NOTES: Bourbon - Do NOT use a premium sipping Bourbon. I did once for my dad and you could barely taste the Bourbon. Don't use rot gut, but something like regular Wild Turkey.
Use margarine. Mother always used Imperial. I tried butter once and they softened too quickly, so I went back to Imperial.
Chocolate coating - Back in the day, chocolate coating bits weren't available to a home cook. So, we used one of the large Hershey chocolate bars and paraffin for canning purposes to thin out the chocolate, melted in a double boiler. Last time I made these, I did use a commercial chocolate coating and it was way too thick. I ended up having to get some paraffin to thin it down. You want a very thin shell, maybe 1-2 mm thick.
INGREDIENTS
1 stick margarine, melted
1 box 10X/icing/powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp Bourbon depending on how strong you want them
Good pinch of salt
Whole pecan pieces
Chocolate coating/paraffin if needed
Mix salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and Bourbon. Stir together until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Using a scoop, form 1-inch balls and place each ball on a pecan half, pressing gently to adhere. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. We would often make them 1 day, then dip the next.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate coating. Remove a dozen or so balls at a time to dip. Do a few at a time so they don't soften because they will slip off the dipper. Using a fondue fork, skewer the Bourbon ball toward the bottom, dip in the chocolate, swirl to completely coat, remove and place on a wax or parchment paper lined tray, using a second fork to push them off the dipper fork. You may have to reheat the chocolate if it starts to cool too much and thicken. Once you are done, place tray with balls in refrigerator so coating totally hardens, then balls may be placed in a plastic container for storage.
