by amanda
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Photo by Sarah Shatz
2 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (best made with Nabisco Famous wafers -- 1 package -- pulverized in a food processor) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/4 cups pecans Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup good bourbon or rum Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus additional for rolling Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 tablespoons honey Ask a question about this ingredient
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the cookie crumbs and pecans until the nuts are finely ground.
Ask a question about this stepIn a separate bowl, stir together the bourbon or rum, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, the cocoa powder, and honey. Add the mixture to the food processor and pulse until just combined. Let the dough rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 4 hours or, lightly covered, overnight. This will dry it out a little.
Ask a question about this stepUse your fingers to roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the balls in confectioners' sugar. Store the balls airtight if you like them moist, or uncovered if you like them to develop a crunchy sugar crust on the outside. Sprinkle with (or roll the balls in) additional confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Ask a question about this stepI made the rum version for our family Thanksgiving get-together and they were too stout for most people. I followed the recipe to the T. Even found the Nabisco chocolate wafers. Overall they had a great flavor but the half cup of rum was just way too much. I would make them again but only use 1/4 cup of alcohol. It was totally disappointing to watch people take a bite then throw the rest in the trash.
I made these with a combination of leftover cookies (yeah, right) from Christmas, OK, there were some in my freezer that I did not gift. These came out just great. Yum...Hiccup!
Love the recipe - it looks delicious. But any suggestions for a gluten-free substitute for the wafers?
Check whole foods for the gluten free graham crackers. They were perfect for pie crusts I imagine they will translate perfectly!
I always age my bourbon/rum balls making them around Halloween and serving them at Christmas. Store them in a tin with parchment between the layers and hide on pantry shelf. It greatly increases the flavor complexity.
Wonderful!
I made these with bourbon for a cookie exchange party. They are seriously good, but not safe for work!! The flavor is nicely balanced between the boozy kick, chocolate, and nuts. I toasted the pecans to help accentuate them, and recommend doing so. I put them in white mini-muffin papers and sprinkled them with disco dust for a fancy holiday presentation. I plan on making another batch soon!
I made these with rum on my Christmas baking day a couple weeks ago. I took them to three holiday parties and still had extras to snack on for a few days when I got home from work.
I probably wouldn't make these without Nabisco Famous wafers. In a pinch last year I used a brand of organic crispy thin chocolate cookies and, although good, the bourbon balls paled in comparison to ones made with Famous wafers. I was glad to find Famous wafers at the store this morning as I make them again today.
And one other thing. The Gourmet recipe used molasses instead of honey. Try it!
I've used molasses instead of honey each of the five (5!!) times I've made these since the recipe was posted, simply because I like molasses a lot more than honey, and it does not overpower, given the chocolate and bourbon. I highly recommend it. ;o)
I've made these for years from a recipe in Gourmet circa 1982. I always make them with Jack Daniels because I like calling them Jack Daniels balls and they do taste yummy if you like that particular tipple.
I made these to bring to my FIL for Father's Day. Very well loved! I suppose it's common sense - but 1 pkg of the Famous Wafers yields the 2.5 cups you need. I wasn't sure, so I bought 2 pks. I suppose there are worse fates than having extra cookies to snack on or to be able to make another batch. I put them in mini decorated cupcake liners to make them look extra special.
Just fixed the recipe -- thanks so much for noting the amount!
I made these over the holidays substituting rum for the bourbon. I never drink (a true lightweight), and after eating 3 or 4 in a row I could swear I was feeling a buzz! I shared them at work too, telling people to keep it on the qt since the last thing I wanted was to get into hot water for sharing boozy rum balls with my co-workers. Still, yummy reviews all around. Thanks for the recipe!
Questions: Do you think I could do all cookie crumb in lieu of the nuts?
Andrew is an artisan chocolatier and the owner of Garrison Confections Gourmet Chocolate Shop.
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Bourbon, pecans, Nabisco chocolate wafers, cocoa, honey, and confectioners sugar are all the friends you need.
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There they are -- Nabisco Famous chocolate wafers!
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A food processor comes in handy for crushing the wafers to a powder.
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Doesn't it look like coffee grounds?
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Once you've measured the chocolate crumbs, you put them back in the food processor with the pecans.
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Yes, that's a full 1/2 cup bourbon!
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In that bowl of goodness is honey, cocoa, confectioners' sugar, and the bourbon.
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The cookie-and-pecan crumbs blended with the cocoa-bourbon mixture -- not a lot of technical work here! Now you let this sit for up to a day to dry out a little -- I transferred it to a bowl to do so.
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Ball rolling!
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A final dusting and holiday's greatest comfort food is ready.
I decided to play with this after making them the normal way... I added some muddled fresh raspberries and just added a little less rum to balance out the wet dry ratio...I love them!