Description
These boozy pecan bourbon balls get spicy for the holidays with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Ingredients
- halved pecans - 1 cup (plus 1/2 cup)
- bourbon - 6 tablespoons
- unsalted butter at room temperature - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- powdered sugar - 1 (16 ounce package, about 3 cups)
- dark chocolate chips - 1 bag (10 oz)
- ground cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
- ground nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon
- ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions
- Start by toasting the pecans at 350° for about 8-10 minutes until they give off a nutty aroma. Set aside 1/2 cup of pecan halves for later.
- Coarsely chop the remaining 1 cup of the pecans and place them in a sealable bowl or jar. Pour the bourbon over the pecans and stir to make sure they are fully saturated. Seal the bowl or jar and soak overnight.
- Blend the spices in with the powdered sugar.
- Mix the butter and spiced powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the bourbon soaked pecans.If the mix seems too dry, add a scant amount some of the bourbon to the mix until creamy. If it seems too sticky and wet, slowly add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Chill the mixture for 15 minutes so that it hardens up a big. This will make the filling easier to manipulate into balls. Using a cookie scoop, form the filling into 3/4" balls and refrigerate overnight or freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Line a baking tray with parchment or a silpat mat. Melt the chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir and scrape the sides often to avoid scorching.
- Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, quickly roll the balls in the melted chocolate, one at a time. You must move quickly because they will start to melt in the hot chocolate. I use a slotted spoon to lift the balls out of the chocolate and place them on the lined baking sheet.
- While the chocolate is still warm, add a toasted pecan to the top of each ball. Allow the chocolate to harden and serve right away or store in the refrigerator until serving.
- These obviously pair well with any bourbon based libation.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes