1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar, divided
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
2 ounces of bourbon (Kentucky bourbon, of course)
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Combine vanilla wafer crumbs (I've also used graham cracker crumbs), chopped pecans, cocoa, and confectioners' sugar. In a measuring cup, blend the Bourbon and corn syrup; stir into the dry mixture. When thoroughly blended, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more. Sift about 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar onto a large piece of waxed paper. Shape small amounts of the dough into balls then roll in powdered sugar. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. These can be frozen. Makes about 3 dozen.

Now then, if you set the little dudes in a covered container in the fridge for a few days, the bourbon'll make 'em taste stronger....then if you want to get fancy schmantzy, you dip each one in melted chocolate bark and let set.

What's really grand about these is that you make 'em then get to tell the young 'uns that they are "grown up" cookies and all the adults don't have to share (hehehe).

HEY! There are some foods that kids just "can't appreciate"...bourbon balls, shrimp cocktail, ceviche, so we adults have to eat them so the kids won't have to....(I know, I'm evil)

Love them bourbon balls. Are we from the same area of the country?

I'n near where bourbon is made (not drank, it's dry around there).

If by from, you mean KY, yep I was born in KY.

But I got my little [censored] to Texas as soon as I could....LMAO!

Bourbon is never "drank".....It's always sipped straight over ice....true Southern style (LOL)! And it's against God's law for there to still be dry counties IMO! Prohibition was for the dark ages when man didn't know any better!

(hehehe)

Thanks, Kimmy. I'm going to toss some of these together for the band and see how they go over. I don't think they're a well known treat up here.

Maybe I could make them part of a "emergency kit" to leave in the car over winter!

GC

Yummy! Now I have something to do while my little strep infected girl sleeps! I've got the day off to take care of her and since it's raining and gray out, putzing around the kitchen is top on my list of priorities.

Even better when there's bourbon involved!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

These sound great! But alas, it is a dry county here as well. Have to drive to the next county over for the bourbon. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> Is it only Texas that has dry counties? I live in Titus Co, Tx.

Katie

Denton Co., TX (where I grew up) is liquor dry...there's a lot of counties in Arkansas that are dry, too.

It was funny when I was little. It'd be a family trip to go to Lewisville to get booze. All the uncles and cousins and everyone would go or put in their order for who ever was going to pick it up for them.

Down here at the coast it's not dry...nor in Austin or San Antonio.

Well we dont have to drive too far. 25 miles in any direction just about. It is just very curious to me. I live in a small town. There are a couple of restarunts and about 2 clubs that have special licenses to serve. But when you order anything in these places you have to pay a fee to join the membership or some such thing. VERY Strange! In NM, they had Blue laws...cant purchase alcohol after midnight Sat till midnight Sun night. To keep the Sabboth holy????

Oh yes, bourbon balls. My H makes them every Christmas. Our family refers to them as the "drunk" bourbon balls. He adds a little more bourbon than is called for. But they are always perfect. Our recipe is from one of Southern Living's big cookbooks (1989, I think). Sounds just like your recipe.

Our county is currently dry (Mississippi - so its not just TX). Today we voted to repeal the dry status. So maybe we can actually order a glass of wine at a local restaurant soon! We can buy beer in the grocery stores here, but not on Sunday and there are no liquor stores. We have to drive a fairly short distance for that.

Thanks for the tip about dipping them in chocolate. That sounds delicious. And oh yes, these are saved just for the adults. Our 8 year old likes to help make them, but he doesn't like the smell so we have no problem with him wanting to eat them.

(Edited to fix sentence that didn't make sense!)

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

<small>[ November 02, 2004, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: naivegirl ]</small>

Niosgirl, I have a technical question. It is, in the recipe you posted, it said 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, divided. Then later in the recipe instructions, you said sprinkle about 1/2 cup confectioners sugar to roll the "little dudes" in. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> Does that mean that in the actual mixing part of the . . . ahem . . . balls, that one would only use 1 cup of the confectioners sugar, and save the other 1/2 cup for rolling?

OR, are we talking about using 2 cups of confectioners sugar. I don't know if it is the editor part in me, or the cook part in me, that gets hung up on these little tidbits of info.

AND, what is all this talk of "dry?" Are there places you SERIOUSLY cannot drink in the US of A?

This is very interesting to me.

Spidey

Yes, Spidey, in a dry county there are not liquor stores, cant buy alcohol at the grocery store or convience store. Where I live, you can get alcohol at a few restaraunts. Thats it. Otherwise you drive out of the county. But we DO have churches on every corner. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> But we DO have churches on every corner. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Is this the "Bible Belt" I have heard about?

Yes I think so. I live in NE Tex. I didnt think places like this still existed. But, it is small town America. Town square, churches everywhere and dry county. But, we do seem to have a large problem with teenage pregnancy and drug use.

I'm sorry...I have totally threadjacked Niosgirl's thread.

I AM going to try the balls though. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />
Katie

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> Does that mean that in the actual mixing part of the . . . ahem . . . balls, that one would only use 1 cup of the confectioners sugar, and save the other 1/2 cup for rolling?
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes.

And yes, there are "dry" counties - Specially here in the South....it's not that you can't drink there, you just can't purchase it.

Yep, dry counties in KY, even the county that brews the bourbon those balls are made from...a bit ironic. A church on every corner. Yes, we are the bible belt. Stores closed on Sunday.

I went to school in a dry county where a road trip was in the night's events if you ran out...
("All we need is a $10 and a $5 and a car and some keys and a sober driver...")

I have been to a bootlegger though. And have been to more than one party where the jar of 'shine was passed around...

My state still has blue laws. We have State Stores that sell wine & liquor and Beer Distributors that sell all the beer. No beer sales on Sundays. But they just allowed the state stores to be open on Sundays til 5pm recently. I would LOVE to be able to pick up a six pack while food shopping, instead of having to make it an extra errand!

StillHereMakingIt ~

I know that ditty from a morning radio show. It went something like this:

Beer Run!
B, double e, double r, u, n...Beer Run.
All we need is a 10 and a fiver,
And set of keys and a sober driver!
Beer run!

Too funny!

Have to try the bourbon ball recipe! Thanks kimmy!

SHMI,
The first time I saw a jar being passed around, I thought I had stepped into a time warp. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />
But after I lived here for a while, got to know some of my family history...makin and runnin shine is pretty common around here. Guess this means we will be labeled as real hicks!! lol

Katie

I've only seen the jar, never tried it, and folks don't mind a 'no' when it comes to that. I don't like the comments that come after drinking it...and I don't want to go blind.

We first moved to Ky from IL on a Sunday, and no restaurant or store was open...what a welcome.

Big cities in hick states are interesting...you get the advantages of a big city, and you don't have to travel far before you meet some REALLY interesting people.

Any other interesting recipes out there? I'm a terrible cook but could bring some in tomorrow to share...

Mint Juleps anyone?