RECIPE: How to make classic bourbon balls

Dip the frozen balls in melted dark chocolate and top with a pecan half for a pretty presentation. Picture from Instagram.

Dip the frozen balls in melted dark chocolate and top with a pecan half for a pretty presentation. Picture from Instagram.

Published Sep 10, 2019

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Bourbon balls are an incredibly easy dessert to make and only a handful of ingredients are needed.

To make Bourbon Balls, combine 1 cup of finely chopped pecans with 5 tablespoons of bourbon. Let this mixture sit for at least 1 hour. Overnight is fine too.

Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let it sit on the counter. The pecans will soak up most of the bourbon. There are oodles of great tasting bourbon available. 

In melting the chocolate chips and shortening together, the latter prevents the chocolate from hardening too much when it cools - it makes the bourbon Balls easier to bite into. Picture from Instagram.

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped pecans

5 tablespoons bourbon

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons shortening

roughly 30 pecan halves

Method

Combine the chopped pecans and bourbon in a small bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Beat butter with an electric mixer and gradually add powdered sugar. Once mixture has completely come together, add pecan-bourbon mixture and mix. If mixture is too soft, add a little more sugar.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon measuring spoon to form balls that are slightly larger than 3 cm. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Once smooth, start dipping the balls into the chocolate mixture using a toothpick. Place back on baking sheet and top with a pecan to cover the hole from the toothpick.

Return bourbon balls to refrigerator to set the chocolate.

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