Bourbon Balls Without Vanilla Wafers Recipes

BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Add the chopped pecans to a small bowl. Pour whiskey over pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to soak for a minimum of overnight, or for best results, 3-5 of days.
• Stir the pecans occasionally to make sure they all get a chance to soak up the bourbon. If the bourbon gets soaked up before you're ready to make these, I top them off with extra bourbon.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
• Add butter to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar, beat until the mixture is dry and crumbly, like coarse sand. Stir in soaked pecans.
• Form dough into 3/4 inch balls and set on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
• Add chocolate chips and vegetable shortening to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir vigorously. Continue as needed, heating for 30-second intervals and stirring until melted.
• Poke a toothpick a 1/4 inch into the top of each ball. Dip in melted chocolate and cover the ball completely, in chocolate, using a spoon as needed to cover the top with chocolate.
• Return the chocolate covered ball to the tray so the chocolate can set. Remove toothpicks and dab a little melted chocolate on the top to cover the toothpick hole.
• Sprinkle top with a few chopped pecans. Continue with the rest of the balls. Place in the fridge overnight to set completely.

OLD FASHIONED BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• In a food processor fitted with with the knife blade, process vanilla wafer cookies until they are a fine crumb. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
• Add pecans and process as finely as possible. This will be a fine chop. Stir into vanilla wafers.
• In a measuring cup combine honey and bourbon and stir together.
• Drizzle bourbon mixture over the cookie and nuts and mix together until well combined.
• Use a 1" cookie scoop to scoop out dough. Roll into balls in the palm of your hands.
• Roll in powdered sugar or cocoa powder and place on a lined cookie sheet
• Store in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer. Bake until the pecans are toasted and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Immediate transfer to a cutting board to cool.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the cookie crumbs (if you are starting with whole cookies, make the crumbs now then double-check to make sure you have 2 1/2 cups).
• Add the cooled nuts and salt. Continue to pulse, until the nuts are finely ground but not completely pulverized (you want them in small bits but for them to still have a little bit of texture).
• In a small bowl, whisk together the bourbon, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and molasses until smooth.
• Add to the food processor bowl and pulse until just combined.
• Scoop the mixture into a bowl and give it a few stirs if the ingredients are not evenly combined. Press it into a mass. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the crumbs to absorb some of the liquid.
• Arrange anything you'd like to roll the balls in a shallow dish (a low bowl both works well).
• Portion the dough by tablespoonfuls (I like to use a tablespoon scoop like this) and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in toppings of your choice, then transfer to a storage container (or enjoy IMMEDIATELY!).

RUM OR BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe medium bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Blend in rum. Add crushed vanilla wafers and chopped nuts. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
• Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls. Roll balls in a mixture of ground nuts and confectioner's sugar, or just plain confectioner's sugar. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to blend the flavors.

BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Sift the cocoa and 1 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Combine the bourbon and corn syrup and add to the cocoa mixture. Stir in the crushed wafers and pecans, mixing until well blended.
• Shape the mixture into 3/4-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Cover and chill at least 20 minutes and up to 2 weeks.

BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• For the bourbon balls: Pulse the vanilla wafer cookies and pecan halves in a food processor until the mixture turns to fine crumbs. Add the cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, bourbon, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, then pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined and holds together when squeezed.
• Scoop the mixture into 1-inch balls (each about 1 tablespoon; about 25 total) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands so they're smooth and compact. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill and firm up slightly, about 10 minutes.
• For the coating: Meanwhile, put the chocolate and oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring halfway through, until completely melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Working one a time, use 2 forks to gently lower each bourbon ball into the chocolate mixture, turning to make sure the entire ball is coated. Let any excess chocolate drip off, then return to the baking sheet. Top with a pecan half. Return to the refrigerator until the chocolate is just set, about 5 minutes.

CHERRY BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• In the microwave oven or over a double boiler, melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon and corn syrup.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the crushed vanilla wafers and ground walnuts. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crumbs in the bowl and blend well using your hands. Shape into 1 inch balls and press a cherry half into the center of each one. Roll each cookie in confectioners' sugar to coat.
• Store in an airtight tin for at least a week before serving.

STEPH'S BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Place the sugar in a shallow bowl, and set aside. Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and pecans in a bowl, and mix well.
• Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes to melt the chips. Stir the melted chips until smooth, and beat in the corn syrup and whiskey. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the crumb mixture, and stir well to mix.
• Form the dough into 1-inch balls, and roll each ball in sugar. Place the finished bourbon balls on a cooling rack to finish setting up.