12 Days of Cookies, Day 10: Salted-caramel Yuletide bourbon balls
Today’s “12 Days of Cookies” recipe is for those who like bourbon but not necessarily turning on the oven. It’s a no-bake recipe for salted-caramel Yuletide bourbon balls from reader Denese Johnson of White Settlement.
Each day, we are featuring one Very Merry Cookie Challenge finalist recipe in Life & Arts until the big, final tasting event at Central Market Fort Worth on Sunday. A few spots have opened for the event, so if you’d like to taste and judge the finalists, purchase a $10 ticket through www.centralmarket.com.
If you cannot attend, try making the cookies at home and see how your favorites stack up against the judges’ picks.
Winners will be revealed in Life & Arts on Dec. 11.
Salted-caramel Yuletide bourbon balls
Makes 4 dozen
- 1/2 cup bourbon, divided
- 1/4 cup eggnog
- 1/4 pound dried figs, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 3 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup ground pecans, divided
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 12-ounce packages salted-caramel candy melts
1. In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup bourbon, eggnog and figs. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Puree in food processor. Add remaining bourbon and corn syrup. Pulse to mix and set aside.
2. Mix vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, 1/2 cup ground pecans, flour and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. Add bourbon mixture to cookie mixture and combine.
3. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out a portion of dough and hand-roll. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cover and place in freezer for 20 minutes.
4. Place candy melts in a medium bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 50 percent power. Stir and repeat process for 30 seconds each time until they are completely melted.
5. Remove cookies from fridge and dip each one in candy melts. Use forks to roll cookies, tapping the side of the bowl with the cookie on the fork to remove excess caramel. Return dipped cookies to cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops of cookies with remaining ground pecans and let sit until hardened. Store cookies in an airtight container.
Nutritional analysis per ball: 173 calories, 5 grams fat, 32 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 92 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 24 percent of calories from fat.
Denese Johnson, White Settlement
This story was originally published November 28, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "12 Days of Cookies, Day 10: Salted-caramel Yuletide bourbon balls."