Maple-Pecan Bourbon Balls
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 8ounces/225 grams vanilla wafers
- 1¼cups/125 grams pecan halves, toasted
- 6tablespoons/90 milliliters maple syrup
- ⅓cup/30 grams cocoa powder
- ¼cup/60 milliliters bourbon
- 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar, plus about ¼ cup/30 grams for coating (optional)
- 1½cups/255 grams chopped semisweet chocolate (not chips)
Nutritional analysis per serving (30 servings)
131 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 58 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the vanilla wafers and pecans and process until fine crumbs form. Add the maple syrup, cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, salt and ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar and process until completely combined and the mixture holds together when shaped into a ball.
- Step 2
Portion the dough into 1 tablespoon scoops and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the dough is portioned, roll the scoops into neat balls.
- Step 3
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler on the stove or in short bursts in the microwave. Using two forks, dip each ball into the melted chocolate, and rotate to cover completely in chocolate coating. Tap each of the covered balls over the edge of the bowl to release excess chocolate and transfer to the prepared sheet. Alternatively, roll the uncoated balls in the ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar until coated.
- Step 4
Transfer the sheet to the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Private Notes
Comments
Fortunately for all of us my husband is a mathematician! The amount if vanilla wafers you need here is 60 wafers (“Nilla Wafers”). The recipe is confusing because it is 8 oz. in weight measurement 225 grams. Everything else is in cups except the cookies so we a tually did the math and figured it out. It’s about 3/4 of the box, not and 8 oz. cup!
Love this recipe -- fabulous result! Note: I found the yields to be off. I could see right away that one-TBS scoops would yield far less than 2 1/2 dozen, so I made them smaller (more like the size of a typical chocolate truffle) and got 26. But I was left with enough melted chocolate to make another half-batch. (I weighed ingredients rather than using cups, so couldn't have been off.) I used half 72% cacao chocolate & half 85% -- perfect sweetness! A 100-g bar of each should suffice. Thanks!
I did mine with graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers and that worked just fine. I doubt the difference is noticeable. Wouldn't recommend rolling in powdered sugar until DIRECTLY before serving because the dough is moist and soaks through the sugar in a couple hours, leaving a sticky light brown residue on the outside. Tastes just fine that way! Just an FYI if you care about the appearance.
Why do you think these need to be refrigerated? Nothing in them would seem to be spoilable? Especially with the booze in them.
Used rye whiskey and rolled in Demerara sugar… fantastic! The rye adds a bit more “whiskey burn” to the taste, and I recommend if that sounds as appealing to you as it does to me!
I started making these with ginger snaps in place of the vanilla wafers and have never looked back. Also mix in about a quarter cup of minced candied ginger and top the chocolate-coated ones with a tiny pinch of candied ginger.