This is the final Bourbon Balls' blog for Christmas 2011. I have posted two blogs about making Bourbon Balls. One with the recipe and pictures of starting the process of making them and another of dipping the balls. I told you about the contest for the best Bourbon Balls, Marty against Tres and Casey. Two very different recipes, again they did not share the real recipe. Only that they had butter in the filling. We have shared the recipe here and on Janet Rudolph's chocolate blog. The tasting contest was held Christmas Day.
A little back story of this year's contest. My brother and his wife Ann stayed with us several days before going to their son Tres' home for Christmas. We let them taste, many many times, our wonderful Bourbon Balls. It seemed only fair, since last year they had sampled Tres' candy for several days. Then yesterday afternoon, we brought out our candy. Tres brought out his candy. The tasting began. Ours were very very heavy in Bourbon. You saw the pictures, the nuts soaked for days. Tres' were lighter with less Bourbon. Drum roll, please.
Marty won! We won! We are the King and Queen of Bourbon Balls. No votes for the other side, we buried them. Even Tres and Casey voted for us. We Won! Not that I 'm bragging or anything.
Showing posts with label Bourbon balls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bourbon balls. Show all posts
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Busy, busy holidays
The holidays are hectic. Fun, but hectic. My brother and his wife arrived today from Kentucky. They weren’t here two hours before we left for San Francisco to all go to a party. We still have museums to visit, gardens to visit, and restaurant reservations in the city. Plus good food and wine in my kitchen.
Wednesday we will take them to Davis to visit their son and his family. We will spend Christmas with them in Davis. The Bourbon Ball tasting contest will happen there. I will post an update when we win. Today we started bribing Little Brother and his wife. They like our Bourbon Balls.
I will post as I have time. I still have weddings to share with you. I have first graders to tell about. Bear with me. I may not post as often as I usually do. But I bet some of you will not have time to read me the next week or so. I will try to post. And I hope you will try to read me.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Bourbon Balls part 2
As promised this post will show the completion of the making Bourbon balls. For those who did not read part 1, go here. Now I will tell you how Marty and I made his Mother’s recipe our own.
Dolly was not much on drinking. Every now and then she had a cocktail and sometimes a little wine. Marty and I love Kentucky Bourbons, so we soak the pecans longer than her recipe calls for. Ours soaked nearly a week.
What little Bourbon that was left over he poured into the filling. Marty does not use water to soften the mixture, just Bourbon. Do not eat these and then drive.
He mixed the ingredients up, spread them on wax paper, and used a small cookie scooper to make the balls.
He drops the balls onto wax paper on a cookie sheet.
The cookie sheet then goes into the freezer.
Chocolate my sister-in-law sent us.
Chocolate dippers. Dolly used fingers, toothpicks, spoons.
Deluxe Chocolate Melter. www:chocolatemelter.com
Dolly used a double boiler.
Just a little paraffin is added to help the chocolate not to melt in your hands. It still will. We don’t add that much.
Dipping the balls in chocolate.
More dipping.
Marty dipped in small batches. The filling would thaw if out long.
After dipped, into the refrigerator they go. When good and cold again, the Bourbon Balls are placed in sealed containers and kept in the refrigerator.
Now we are ready for the Christmas Eve Bourbon Ball contest. We are so going to win.
Monday, December 5, 2011
BOURBON BALLS
Bourbon Balls are a Southern taste treat. Chocolate and Bourbon, what’s not to love. In Kentucky you always serve them during Kentucky Derby parties and during the Christmas holidays. The Bourbon is not cooked out, so you have to warn children and alcoholics these are not for just anyone.
My mother in law made wonderful Bourbon Balls and shared the recipe with my husband, Marty. He makes them every year. But last year he was challenged as the maker of the best Bourbon Balls.
My nephew, Tres, and his wife, Casey, have a different recipe, that is mighty tasty. Last Christmas Eve we had a taste test. Marty lost. But we knew the contest was rigged. The judges were Tres’ parents. How fair is that?
This year we will have another taste test. Tres’ mother mailed all of us chocolate to make Bourbon Balls. She said for another contest. I said for her to have a large supply of Bourbon Balls for the holidays.
I am going to share the recipe from the Appel side of the family. The Tripletts have not shared their secret recipe.
DOLLY APPEL’S BOURBON BALLS
1 ½ pounds pecans
8 oz of Maker’s Mark Bourbon
2 oz water
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
3 pounds semisweet chocolate
3 oz paraffin
Break and combine pecans with bourbon, cover and set aside for 4 hours or more. Sift confectioners’ sugar and add pecans, adding sugar gradually to a working consistency until a small ball can be made ½ to ¾ inch in diameter. Water is to be used only to bring mixture to desired consistency. Add water only to prevent ball from falling apart. Mixture should be semi-dry. Prepare balls and place on a waxed papered cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool. (Approx. 2 hours)
Melt chocolate and paraffin and mix well. Chocolate should not be too hot, just warm enough to work up. The warmer the mix, the thinner coating the bourbon balls will have.
Remove formed balls from the freezer when ready to coat with chocolate. With fingers dip each ball to cover half of ball and return to cookie sheet. After this step return to refrigerator to harden chocolate. (Approx. 1 hour)
To coat top half of ball when ready insert toothpick in the bottom that has already been coated and dip top in chocolate. Remove toothpick and return ball to cookie sheet. Refrigerate again to harden chocolate.
Store bourbon balls in refrigerator.
Notes: This recipe is at least 70 years old. It was Marty’s mother’s recipe. She loved to make chocolate candies. Fingers were used for a lot of mixing, holding, stirring. Today there are fine chocolate tools to dip with, and electric pots to melt the chocolate. Paraffin is needed no matter how good your chocolate.
The recipe tells you to break pecans and then soak in Bourbon. We fill the container half way up with pecans and them cover them with Bourbon. Use good Bourbon, if you won’t drink it don’t cook with it. We were out of Maker’s Mark and used Woodford Reserve, a mighty fine Bourbon.
The pecans have been soaking for 48 hours. You can see the line of the Bourbon. About half has soaked in. I stir the pecans regularly to make sure they all are full of the Bourbon. We will make the filling and dip them this weekend. I know the recipe says soak 4 hours. We like to really let the Bourbon soak in. That is why small children should not eat these candies.
When we finish them, I will post some more pictures.
My mother in law made wonderful Bourbon Balls and shared the recipe with my husband, Marty. He makes them every year. But last year he was challenged as the maker of the best Bourbon Balls.
My nephew, Tres, and his wife, Casey, have a different recipe, that is mighty tasty. Last Christmas Eve we had a taste test. Marty lost. But we knew the contest was rigged. The judges were Tres’ parents. How fair is that?
This year we will have another taste test. Tres’ mother mailed all of us chocolate to make Bourbon Balls. She said for another contest. I said for her to have a large supply of Bourbon Balls for the holidays.
I am going to share the recipe from the Appel side of the family. The Tripletts have not shared their secret recipe.
DOLLY APPEL’S BOURBON BALLS
1 ½ pounds pecans
8 oz of Maker’s Mark Bourbon
2 oz water
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
3 pounds semisweet chocolate
3 oz paraffin
Break and combine pecans with bourbon, cover and set aside for 4 hours or more. Sift confectioners’ sugar and add pecans, adding sugar gradually to a working consistency until a small ball can be made ½ to ¾ inch in diameter. Water is to be used only to bring mixture to desired consistency. Add water only to prevent ball from falling apart. Mixture should be semi-dry. Prepare balls and place on a waxed papered cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool. (Approx. 2 hours)
Melt chocolate and paraffin and mix well. Chocolate should not be too hot, just warm enough to work up. The warmer the mix, the thinner coating the bourbon balls will have.
Remove formed balls from the freezer when ready to coat with chocolate. With fingers dip each ball to cover half of ball and return to cookie sheet. After this step return to refrigerator to harden chocolate. (Approx. 1 hour)
To coat top half of ball when ready insert toothpick in the bottom that has already been coated and dip top in chocolate. Remove toothpick and return ball to cookie sheet. Refrigerate again to harden chocolate.
Store bourbon balls in refrigerator.
Notes: This recipe is at least 70 years old. It was Marty’s mother’s recipe. She loved to make chocolate candies. Fingers were used for a lot of mixing, holding, stirring. Today there are fine chocolate tools to dip with, and electric pots to melt the chocolate. Paraffin is needed no matter how good your chocolate.
The recipe tells you to break pecans and then soak in Bourbon. We fill the container half way up with pecans and them cover them with Bourbon. Use good Bourbon, if you won’t drink it don’t cook with it. We were out of Maker’s Mark and used Woodford Reserve, a mighty fine Bourbon.
The pecans have been soaking for 48 hours. You can see the line of the Bourbon. About half has soaked in. I stir the pecans regularly to make sure they all are full of the Bourbon. We will make the filling and dip them this weekend. I know the recipe says soak 4 hours. We like to really let the Bourbon soak in. That is why small children should not eat these candies.
When we finish them, I will post some more pictures.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Duck, duck, no goose
Last night we had a spectacular meal. A friend had given us two wild duck to cook, IF we invited him to dinner. We love duck. Marty has a luscious recipe for duck breast on porcini mushroom polenta with a Port wine sauce. It was easy to adapt to whole duck. Easy because he did it, I didn't.
My contribution to the meal was to make shrimp and garlic chive dumplings with two sauces. That sounds easy, takes longer than the duck. So I am a saint to make them. They are well worth the effort. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Below are pictures of the duck being served. I was told I should take pictures all night of prep, finished product of the dumpling, etc. Well, I was enjoying the evening and just didn't. So all we have are pictures of the ducks on the plates.
Marty is placing the Port Wine sauce over the duck.
Close up of the rich rich sauce.
More with the sauce. Marty also grew all the orchids that are blooming.
Not great pictures because you can't smell the wine, the porcini mushroom, the duck. It was fabulous!
I forgot, I took a picture of dessert: Bourbon Balls. The recipe is Marty's Mother's. So it is probably 50 or 60 years old. The pecans were soaked in Maker's Mark for a month plus. The sugar has bourbon in it. These can not be eaten by anyone under 21, we could go to jail for serving liquor to a minor.
My contribution to the meal was to make shrimp and garlic chive dumplings with two sauces. That sounds easy, takes longer than the duck. So I am a saint to make them. They are well worth the effort. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Below are pictures of the duck being served. I was told I should take pictures all night of prep, finished product of the dumpling, etc. Well, I was enjoying the evening and just didn't. So all we have are pictures of the ducks on the plates.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
BOURBON BALLS
My husband makes the world's best Bourbon Balls. Many people don't even know what that is. It is the perfect blend of chocolate and Bourbon. He made some for Christmas. And tonight he dipped some more in chocolate. Because I am in that happy place after eating one, I am putting the recipe on my Blog. It is his mother's recipe. She was a fabulous cook. Luckily she wrote this recipe down. Most of her food was a pinch of this, a little of that. Eating these is heaven.
DOLLY'S BOURBON BALLS
1 1/2 lb. pecans
8 oz. bourbon, (not Jack Daniels that is Tennessee whiskey), good Kentucky bourbon such as Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, if you won't drink it, don't put it in food.
2 oz. water
2 lb. confectioners sugar
3 lb. semisweet chocolate
3 oz. paraffin
Break and combine pecans with Bourbon, cover and set aside for 4 hours or more. (We go overnight. ) Sift sugar and add pecans adding sugar gradually to a working consistency until a small ball can be made 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Water is to be used only to bring mixture to desired consistency. (We use Bourbon instead of water.) Add only to prevent ball from falling apart. Mixture should be semi-dry. Prepare balls and place on a wax papered cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool, 2 or more hours.
Melt chocolate and paraffin and mix well. Chocolate should not be too hot. Just warm enough to work up. The warmer the mix, the thinner coating the Bourbon Balls will have.
Remove formed balls from freezer when ready to coat with chocolate. With fingers dip each ball to cover half of ball and return to cookie sheet. After this step return to refrigerator to harden chocolate approximately 1 hour. To coat top half of ball, when ready insert toothpick in the bottom that has already been coated and dip top in chocolate. Remove toothpick and return to cookie sheet, Refrigerate again to harden chocolate. Store balls in refrigerator.
We have recently bought a chocolate melter and a tool to dip chocolates. It makes it easier, but not required to make Bourbon Balls. Toothpicks do work.
DOLLY'S BOURBON BALLS
1 1/2 lb. pecans
8 oz. bourbon, (not Jack Daniels that is Tennessee whiskey), good Kentucky bourbon such as Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, if you won't drink it, don't put it in food.
2 oz. water
2 lb. confectioners sugar
3 lb. semisweet chocolate
3 oz. paraffin
Break and combine pecans with Bourbon, cover and set aside for 4 hours or more. (We go overnight. ) Sift sugar and add pecans adding sugar gradually to a working consistency until a small ball can be made 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Water is to be used only to bring mixture to desired consistency. (We use Bourbon instead of water.) Add only to prevent ball from falling apart. Mixture should be semi-dry. Prepare balls and place on a wax papered cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool, 2 or more hours.
Melt chocolate and paraffin and mix well. Chocolate should not be too hot. Just warm enough to work up. The warmer the mix, the thinner coating the Bourbon Balls will have.
Remove formed balls from freezer when ready to coat with chocolate. With fingers dip each ball to cover half of ball and return to cookie sheet. After this step return to refrigerator to harden chocolate approximately 1 hour. To coat top half of ball, when ready insert toothpick in the bottom that has already been coated and dip top in chocolate. Remove toothpick and return to cookie sheet, Refrigerate again to harden chocolate. Store balls in refrigerator.
We have recently bought a chocolate melter and a tool to dip chocolates. It makes it easier, but not required to make Bourbon Balls. Toothpicks do work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)