My grandfather, my father and my husband have always been close, but they don’t always see eye to eye. They agree on a few things: I will always be their “b
aby girl,” Johnston and Murphy is the only brand of shoes to buy (with a few exceptions), and “If it’s made in Kentucky, it’s Bourbon. If it’s made in Tennessee, it’s Whiskey. We drink Whiskey!” Their whiskey of choice? Gentleman Jack!
Chris, my husband, gentleman, and officer is in the United States Air Force and travels all over the world. He’s tried many brands of various qualities and still finds Gentleman Jack to be the smoothest! A wise professor of mine, Dr. Fitzgerald, once said, “Only cook with what you drink!” So, when I’m making Whiskey balls, I only use what we drink, Gentleman Jack! Feel free to use your favorite Whiskey (or Bourbon, if you prefer those made in Kentucky). If you put cheap liquor in your whiskey balls, they will taste cheap too! Don’t skimp just because you are baking!
- 2 bags Jackson’s Old Fashioned Vanilla Wafers
- 1 cup 10x superfine confectioner’s sugar
- 1 1/2 cups pecans
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
- 1/2 cup white Karo corn syrup
- 3/4 cup Gentleman Jack (For a honey flavor, use Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon.)
- confectioner’s sugar (also known as “powdered sugar”)
For Black Whiskey Balls:
- Add 1 Tbsp cocoa pwder to half of the White Whiskey Ball Mixture.
- cocoa powder
Directions:
Using a food processor or a mallet, crush vanilla wafers and pecans until they are fine crumbs. I like mine slightly coarse for more texture, but feel free to crush to your liking. Add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla powder. Stir together until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add Karo corn syrup and Gentleman Jack (or the Whiskey of your choice). Stir until all ingredients are mixed together evenly. Half the batch and follow the instructions below.
For White Whiskey Balls: Roll mixture into 1″ balls and roll each one in remaining confectioner’s sugar. Set Whiskey balls on wax paper and let them “dry” for about an hour. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.
For Black Whiskey Balls: Add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder to remaining mixture (half batch). Stir until cocoa is thoroughly combined with the mixture. Roll into 1″ balls and roll each one in remaining cocoa powder. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.
