HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!! *jumps in air and does splits
I woke up this morning and thought to myself, "Self, it's gonna be a baking day to start the year off right!" So, I did! I baked. Kinda. I mean, this is probably one of the simplest recipes I've brought to you. No need for mixers, oven timers, nothing like that. It's a throw-it-all-in-one-bowl-and-be-done-with-it kind of recipe!
What's more, is that this recipe belongs to my Noni. And EVERYTHING that woman has ever made from her kitchen is in fact, AMAZING. When my sisters and I went off to college, Noni always made us some goodies to take with us. Her bourbon balls were always my request. She'd leave us a note inside the goody can about how much she and my Nono would miss us and then the PS would always read, "Don't Eat And Drive" Hilarious. And....so true. So consider yourselves in for a treat, a really tasty treat. You're welcome.
Behold....Noni Alma's Bourbon Balls!
The ingredients are simple and most likely, the majority are already in your pantry!
You'll need:
3 cups Nilla Wafers, crushed
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/5 T cocoa
1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely minced
3 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup bourbon
3T sugar (for rolling the balls in) or confectioners sugar
This recipe has many variations, all of which we have tried. You could substitute chocolate wafers for the vanilla, and you could use rum or kahlua in place of bourbon. My family prefers the bourbon best, but it's totally up to you and your taste buds
First, crush the Nilla wafers until it's fine in texture and place in a medium sized bowl. I like to use my mini Cuisine Art, but you can throw them into a Ziploc and crush with a rolling pin
Next measure out your cocoa (I used Hersey's Cocoa for this recipe), your confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar), walnuts, corn syrup, and bourbon. Then throw it altogether in the bowl and mix with a spoonula because let's face it, it's fun to say and gets the job done. Say it with me, SPOONULA. Moving on. Warning: If your hand is heavy in the pouring of the bourbon, your 'dough' will be a slushy mess and won't hold well. I mean, I *may* have added a teeny, weeny, tiny bit extra...but I didn't go overboard.
At this point in time, the smell is absolutely intoxicating!!
The dough will be thick and have a very sticky consistency. Your spoonula should be able to stick up straight, as if it was in a bowl of chili. If your dough looks anything less then, go ahead and add about a 1/4 cup nilla wafers until you get the right consistency again.
But before we go further, let's tip our hats and have a moment of silence for these fine gentlemen. They knew exactly what they were doing when it came to alcohol....amen.
Yep, we are looking at you Mr. Jacob Beam, you old rascal! High fives, all around!
Okay, back to the recipe. Once you incorporate all ingredients, you'll want to take about a tablespoon of dough and cover it while rolling it around in a jar of sugar, shuga ;)
This recipe will yield 30 big balls (1in in diameter) or 50 smaller balls. There is no need to chill this recipe - woot! If we are going to a dinner party, I like to make these a day or two before so the bourbon really sinks in *wink wink
You can line your baking dish with wax paper and place the bourbon balls on top. Just make sure they stay in an air tight container, otherwise they will harden. Before serving, I like to sprinkle a little bit of sugar over them :)
So there you have it, friends! An easy, no-fuss kind of recipe that is sure to bring a smile to your mouth...and belly ;)
Happy New Year!
NorCal Contessa
