Eggnog Bourbon Balls

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE eggnog! Let's be honest, I start checking the stores from the onset of October until it hits the shelves. This year I do want to try and make my own.

I have never used eggnog to bake. Why...never thought of it before and I usually drink the carton before I could ever get around to using it in a recipe. But this year will be different.

Let's start with Eggnog Bourbon Balls. I found this recipe on farmgirlgourmet.com. Her blog is full of recipes. Jump over and try a few out.

Let's get started...

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup crushed vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup powdered confectioners sugar
1 cup ground pecans
1/4 cup Bourbon
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
10 ounces (1 pkg.) egg nog flavored candy melts
ground nutmeg

When we were kids, vanilla wafer cookies were a go to, loved them! As an adult their not as tasty but are great for this recipe. Throw a bunch into your food processor until you have enough crushed cookies for a cup worth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put your cookies, powdered sugar, pecans and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix well. Add the bourbon and corn syrup and stir until everything is completely incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a small hinged scoop to make balls and placed on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. This allows the dough to harden and making dipping easier. I actually left mine in the freezer for a couple of hours as I had to run an errand.

While your bourbon balls are in the freezer you will want to melt your eggnog candy melts. I bought mine on Amazon but I do not see them now. I know that Michael's carries the Wilton brand as well as Walmart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember when melting your candy melts to only use solid shortening to thin down the thickness for easier dipping. Wilton has a few video's on You Tube to explain.

I also used 1 cup of white chocolate chips with 2 Tablespoons of Bourbon to create a thinner and lighter coating for the bourbon balls as my husband is not the biggest fan of sweet coatings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the dipped balls on the left are with the eggnog candy melts and the right side balls are whiter and have a light covering, these are the white chocolate mixed with bourbon.

VERDICT: I was pleasantly surprised that the eggnog candy melts had a nice flavor that complimented the inside bourbon ball. Perfectly balanced.

The white chocolate chip thinned with bourbon gives the bourbon balls a big bunch of bourbon. You need to LOVE bourbon to make them this way......and my husband was more than excited to clean his plate. Me not so much, sticking with the eggnog dipped bourbon balls.

I am taking the eggnog bourbon balls to a party next month and will report back on how well they do.