Little bites of bourbon can’t be anything but a welcome treat during a sad time—no one has to know you are having a little nip. My version of the candy classic tastes just enough of delicious bourbon without it feeling like you’ve done a shot when you pop it in your mouth. A little sorghum syrup brings out the earthiness of the pecans and bourbon. For a true indulgence, I like to dip these in milk chocolate, but you can use bittersweet for a more sophisticated edge, or a combo of both.
— Perre Coleman Magness
• ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith and Perre talk about this recipe, as well as others from Perre’s book, on The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze®. •
Excerpted from The Southern Sympathy Cookbook: Funeral Foods with a Twist by Perre Coleman Magness. Published by The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company. Copyright © 2018 Perre Coleman Magness.
- 1-1/4 cup pecan halves
- 6 tablespoons bourbon
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Sorghum syrup
- 1 pound, 2 ounces milk chocolate chips
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet, just until they are fragrant and lightly golden. Don’t let them get too dark or burn. Transfer immediately to an airtight jar or container and pour over the bourbon. Leave to cool, then seal the jar and shake to coat the pecans in bourbon. Leave to soak for 24 hours, shaking the jar around if you happen to pass it.
- When the pecans have had a good soak, drain the liquid off and place the nuts in the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse to very finely chop the pecans, but don’t let them turn into a paste. Set aside.
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high to break it up. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, until everything starts to come together. It may look like it never will, but make sure to scrape the butter from the bowl and increase the mixer speed as the sugar blends in. Beat in the vanilla extract, then drizzle in the sorghum and beat for another minute. Add the chopped pecans and beat until it all comes together in a ball, a total beating time of about 6 minutes. You want to be able to roll the filling into balls, so beat it well until it all comes right.
- Roll tablespoons of the filling into balls and place on a waxed paper–lined baking sheet or platter. Freeze until firm and very cold, about 1 hour.
- Melt the chocolate in a small, deep saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, or in a small bowl in the microwave, until completely melted and smooth. A small, deep vessel makes dipping the balls easier. Remove the chocolate from the heat and drop the balls in one at a time and roll them around with a fork to coat. Remove them with the fork, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the pot. Place each coated ball back on the baking sheet, making sure they do not touch, and repeat until all the balls are coated. If the chocolate begins to harden or seize, just return it to low heat and stir until it smooths out and continue coating the candy. Leave the balls to harden for several hours, then transfer them to a covered container.
- The balls will keep in an airtight container for a week.
