italian dessert recipes

Bourbon Ball Recipe

"Chocolate flavored with a big bourbon kick!"


bourbon ball recipe
This bourbon ball recipe packs a punch! It's strong enough that while shaping I can feel the coolness from the alcohol on my hands.



There are oodles of substitutions that can be used in this recipe. One of my personal preferences is to use more cocoa, and to use chocolate wafers. That is, if I can find them and they don't make a serious dent in my wallet.

This Italian cookie recipe is an old standby in our collection of Italian dessert recipes used to spice up holiday cookie trays. However, there is enough bourbon in these I would possibly think twice before giving them to your preacher or Sunday school teacher!

Feel free to fudge around with this. I'd stick with the ratios though - they do hold together well.



Bourbon Ball Recipe

These pack a serious punch!


Ingredients

 * 1 cup gingersnaps ( see substitution ideas below)

* 1 cup chopped walnuts

* 1 cup confectioners sugar

* 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1/4 cup bourbon

* 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

* 1/3 cup cocoa and confectioners sugar

Procedure

 1. Combine gingersnap crumbs, finely chopped walnuts, sugar and cocoa.

2. Blend the bourbon and the corn syrup together. Add the gingersnap crumb mixture and mix well.

3. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in confectioners sugar and cocoa mixture.

4. Put these in airtight container like a Tupperware and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.










Can I substitute the ground walnuts?



For what? The only nuts used in Italian cookies that could possibly be substituted would be almonds - but you'd have to get them real small. I've never tried it.

NOTE: Italian dessert recipes don't use pecans. However, that being said - you could use them the cooking police wouldn't write a violation. But, it wouldn't be an authentic Italian cookie recipe.

Can I substitute the bourbon?



Uh, probably. But this is a BOURBON BALL RECIPE

Looking for an alternative for the gingersnaps?

There tons of alternatives. BUT you may need to add a bit of spices to get the bourbon to flavor. I've noted those to the right of the suggestions:

  • chocolate wafers - may need a touch of ginger and nutmeg.


  • graham cracker crumbs - I'd add cloves, nutmeg, ginger.


  • and my least favorite EVER - vanilla wafers. The amount of spices needed to flavor a vanilla wafer would take too much scrolling to list. But it's doable.




    • Other Italian Cookie Recipes



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    lisa gianotti I love sugar and I eat dessert EVERYDAY! Ok, not MASSIVE amounts. But I do have to finish off the evening meal with a little sweet something.

    When I was a kid my health conscience mother would ration my Halloween candy. Her mantra was, "white sugar will kill you". But my Italian grandma always told me, "Everybody needs a little bit of sugar." :-) So, to get my October Halloween sugar fix I will make the traditional Italian cookie recipe, Venetian Bones of the Dead. Italians make these for the Day of the Dead on November 2nd. So - hey, our holiday in America - Halloween is the closest.

    So - while the neighborhood is slamming down a bunch of gross mass produced candy on October 31st, I'll have a real goodie. Oh yeah, I'll have to post it too! (Eventually!) You know how it is. Work. Kids. Clean. Cook.



    I'll see if Bones Of The Dead is in my grandma's first recipe file she started when she married in 1932. Most of the recipes on my site came from her influence. If they aren't in her file - then I got them from her friends. And the remainder I experimented with adapting her style.

    I hope she looks down and smiles this Halloween.

    Lisa


    Would you like to share this page? You know how to do it! Thanks for sharing the sugar love!



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