Bourbon Balls - Rum Balls

I have several recipes for bourbon or rum balls and a recipe for bourbon bars. The only difference in bourbon balls and rum balls is the type of liquor used in the making. Which brings to mind a story about my mother. She is and has always been a teetotaller. No alcohol shall pass her lips until she discovered bourbon balls. The first time she made them she gave one of the guys the money to get her a bottle of bourbon. She would never be seen at the liqour store! A few years later she and Dad were the only ones at home and she had no one to get her bourbon for her bourbon balls. She went through the drive-thru window, got her bottle and headed home. Of course I am sure she had neck problems for days, trying to see who might have seen her at the sinful liquor store. We teased her for a long time about going to the liquor store, until one day I ask who picked up her bottle. She proudly announced she had gotten it herself! Times do change and so do people, but the only liquor to pass my mother's lips is in the form of bourbon balls.

Bourbon Balls

2 tblsp cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
2 tblsp light corn syrup
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup finely chopped nuts
Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa and 1 cup powdered sugar. In another bowl mix bourbon and corn syrup. Pour bourbon/corn syrup mix into sugar/cocoa mix. Add vanilla wafer crumbs and nuts. Mix well.

Form into small balls; dust with powdered sugar. Allow to dry. Store in covered time or freeze until ready to serve.

Boozy Bourbon Balls

1 pkg 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbls light corn syrup
1/2 cup bourbon
2 1/2 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped nuts
Sifted powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water (lightly boiling). Stir constantly until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Add bourbon and blend well. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and chopped nuts in a large bowl. Add chocolate mixture and mix well. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place in an airtight tin and let sit for several days to ripen.

Bourbon Bars

1 pkg 18.5 oz yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp gound nutmeg
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup bourbon
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
2 cups chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, put cake mix, sugar, nutmeg, oil, bourbon and egg yolks. Mix on low speed until moist. Then beat on medium speed until well mixed.

Beat egg whites until they form very stiff peaks. Fold into cake mix. Stir pecans into mix. Pour and spread mix into a greased 15" x 10" x 2" jellyroll pan (or a 9" x 13" cake pan) and bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back to touch. Cool before cutting.