Day Three: Bourbon Balls
On the third day of Christmas Cookie recipes, my friend Emily gave to me… her family’s favorite recipe for Bourbon Balls!
Emily’s grandma was a military wife and this recipe originally came from the Officer’s Wives Club of Okinawa. Emily said that her family waits for these treats every year – her dad talks about them for at least six months leading up to the holiday. That must be some cookie!
This no bake treat comes together quick, but improves with age. Emily recommends using a solidly mid-level bourbon because it is the key flavor of the recipe (she uses Buffalo Trace).
Ingredients
2 c finely crushed vanilla wafers
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 C finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 T honey
1/2 C bourbon
Directions
1. Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Combine next 2 ingredients. Add to crumb mixture slowly, and mix using your hands so you can tell when they have the right feel.
3. When ingredients hold together well stop adding liquid. If the mixture is still too dry, add more liquid a little at a time.
4. Roll into 1 in balls
5. Roll in powdered sugar and place in tightly covered container to ripen.
Don’t let these little bites fool you, they pack quite a punch! But if you want even more bourbon flavor like Grandma makes, let the cookies sit in bourbon for a bit prior to rolling them in sugar.
