Luscious Balls (Bourbon Grenache Chocolate Balls with Hazel nuts and Animal Crackers)

Everyone appreciates Lucious Balls!  Chocolate, Bourbon, Hazelnuts, and Animal crackers- Oh My!

These are Adult-only boozy Chocolates! You will be able to taste the Bourbon flavor in our Luscious Balls- we think it makes them complex and interesting. A fantastic recipe –

Bourbon Balls offer up a powerful punch in a small bite. These no-bake treats are the perfect treat for your Bourbon-loving friends, or your next Kentucky Derby Party.   Bourbon Balls make a great gift.  Box them up as a party favor or host gift –  beautiful homemade present (So much better than store Bourbon Balls).

Use Milk-chocolate Melting wafers. The combination of Dark chocolate and Bourbon can get a little bitter. No need to cook your chocolate for long. As soon as you get a silky smooth mix- you can transfer the ganache to a dish for cooling.

Make sure your ganache is cold enough- if it gets warm while you are making the balls, take a break and put it back in the freezer for a while

Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator or freezer- These Bourbon balls are soft and always better chilled.  So impressive to have a batch ready to serve

Which Bourbon is best for Bourbon Balls?

The Best Bourbon makes the Best Bourbon balls!  Pick your favorite – Woodford Reserve , Angel’s Envy, 1792, Maker’s Mark, or Elijah Craig.  The taste will come through.  

Chocolate Bourbon Balls with Hazelnut and Animal Crackers

Print

5 from 2 votes

Luscious Balls

Bourbon Chocolate Truffles

Prep Time1 hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Alcohol-infused chocolate, boozy chocolate, Bourbon ball, Bourbon candy, Bourbon-soaked pecans, chocolate and Hazelnut candy, chocolate and hazelnut truffle, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan truffles, chocolate candy, chocolate truffle, gift chocolate, Holiday gift chocolate, Luscious balls, no-bake bourbon balls, no-bake dessert

Yield: 36 Truffles

Author: Tess Tickels

Equipment

• Baking Sheets

Materials

• 10 oz Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Melting Wafers
• ¼ cup Heavy Whipping cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• ¼ cup Your favorite Bourbon
• 1 cup Toasted and coarsely chopped Hazelnuts
• 1 cup Animal crackers (coarsely chopped)

Instructions

Prepare Ganache

• Slowly melt chocolate wafers in a double boiler
  
• Add Vanilla, Heavy cream, and Bourbon- and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth
• Transfer the chocolate mix to a pie dish and let cool for 15 minutes
• Cover and place ganache in the freezer for 1 hour

Prepare Truffle Topping

• Toast 1 cup of Hazelnuts for approximately 4 minutes, and then coarsely chop
• Coarsely chop 1 cup of animal crackers, and combine with Hazelnuts
• Put the mixture on a plate

Alternate Truffle Topping(boozier)

• Coarsely chop 1 cup pecans, and place in a small container
  
• Add ½ cup of Bourbon to the container and marinate the pecans.
• Let the topping sit for at least 30 minutes (Pecans should be slightly soft and wet-not bathing)

Complete your Lucious Balls

• Pull ganache from the freezer
• Shape 1 teaspoon of the ganache into a ball
• Roll the ball in the Hazelnut and Cracker mix
• Place on a tray- and repeat (You should get about 36 truffles)
• Place the tray in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours
• Remove from the refrigerator and place on a serving tray