I’ve heard it said many times that you should never cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink. Well this recipe is proof that the same rule applies to cooking with bourbon. Like wine, the world of bourbon is quite nuanced – some are mild and mellow, others are hot and spicy.
I’ve mentioned before that Laura and I are . We enjoy hunting for those elusive bottles. They say every couple has their “thing.” I guess bourbon collecting is ours. So when I went down to the bourbon collection to pull out a bottle for these Pecan Bourbon Balls, I had a choice to make. What kind of bourbon should I use?
I didn’t want to go with anything super rare. I’m sure it would have been delicious, but those bottles are saved for drinking neat…or perhaps with a drop or two of water. They’re meant to be savored. I ended up going with a single barrel store pick of Old Elk. It’s a tasty bourbon that Laura and I have enjoying a lot lately. These Pecan Bourbon Balls are delicious – and the flavor of the specific bourbon that you use really does shine through.
Bourbon balls are a classic holiday party item. They’re bite-sized. They’re easy to make. And one recipe produces a whole tray of bourbon balls. (I get ~64 out of this recipe.) They’re the kind of treat that you stand around eating while talking to friends…and then realize you’ve eaten 7 of them. Oops.
One of the best things about bourbon balls is the simplicity of the recipe. Chopped pecans, bourbon, butter and powdered sugar. That’s it. I chose to melt some chocolate for this batch, but you could easily roll ’em in powdered sugar or finely chopped pecans. I recommend the chocolate approach though – chocolate makes everything better, right?
If you’re looking for a tasty treat that is perfect for holiday gatherings, then keep these bourbon balls in mind! Cheers!
Santa deserves a treat this year, too! These Pecan Bourbon Balls make for an easy holiday party treat or a fun addition to a cookie plate. Cheers!
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Refrigeration Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 64 bourbon balls
Calories: 76 kcal
Using a medium bowl, add 1 cup of finely chopped pecans and all of the bourbon. Stir until well combined; cover and let rest for 1 hour. (Note: The remaining ¼ cup of pecans will be used as garnish.)
Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and confectioner’s sugar until smooth.
Add pecan-bourbon mixture and stir until well combined.
Using ½ Tbsp measuring spoon, scoop out the mixture and shape into ~1” balls. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
Using a double-boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water), add chocolate and butter. Heat, stirring often, until butter has fully melted and mixture is smooth. Remove glaze from heat.
Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the glaze. Place glazed bourbon ball back onto wax paper and sprinkle top with chopped pecans before glaze hardens. Repeat until all filling mixture has been used.
Let bourbon balls sit until glaze has fully set.
