These boozy balls couldn’t be better for the holidays, and especially New Year’s Eve. I love the fact that they’re neither chocolate truffles nor classic Christmas cookies.
My Aunt Leah shared this recipe with my mom years ago, and it’s become a tradition for my family to make these Bourbon Balls each year as gifts for neighbors, family, and friends. (In kindergarten, my cousin Paige was packing her lunch for school, and she “accidentally” took five or six Bourbon Balls for herself. Needless to say, Paige slept well at nap time!) Have a good laugh, and enjoy this famous Truxal treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (Reserve some extra vanilla-wafer crumbs if you need more.)
- ¼ cup bourbon, rum, or chocolate liqueur, or up to ½ cup, if you prefer
- 12 ounces chocolate chips; or 6 ounces milk chocolate and 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- Powdered sugar, cocoa, or chopped walnuts or pecan
Instructions
Crush the vanilla wafers in a food processor, or place the wafers in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Mix the vanilla-wafer crumbs and the bourbon liqueur in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a double boiler over hot water, melt the chocolate chips, then transfer all to a large bowl and mix in the wafers, liqueur, the melted chocolate, and the sweetened condensed milk.
You should be able to make teaspoon-sized balls out of the dough, but if the mixture is too wet, add more vanilla-wafer crumbs until you can. Repeat until finished, then roll the Bourbon Balls in powdered sugar, cocoa, or chopped walnuts or pecans. Chill for a couple of hours and serve.
