Dark Chocolate Bourbon Balls

Name: Dark Chocolate Bourbon Balls
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 dozen.
Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups finely chopped pecans, divided; 1/4 cup bourbon; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 1 pound dark chocolate candy coating, melted

Remember the days at Grama and Grampa's house when you make these wonderfully traditional treats? The blended taste of bourbon and pecans is irresistible! We love these Kentucky Derby bourbon balls. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups finely chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 pound dark chocolate candy coating, melted

Directions

Combine 1 cup pecans and bourbon; let stand, covered, for 8 hours or overnight.
Cream butter and confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until crumbly; stir in pecan mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to shape into 1-in. balls, about 45 minutes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Dip in chocolate coating; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Let stand until set.

Test Kitchen Tips

Dark chocolate not only tastes good, it’s good for you, too. It contains iron, fiber, antioxidants and even vitamin C. The higher the cacao content (cocoa bean solids, which may be listed as a percentage on the label), the higher the content of these components in the chocolate.

Pecans have a higher fat content than other nuts, so they’re more prone to going rancid. They’ll stay fresh for twice as long in the freezer as they would at room temperature.

Check out our top 10 chocolate recipes.