12 Days of Cookies: Day Ten

Booze Balls From Food Network Kitchens



Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 1 hour
Inactive Prep Time: 24 hours
Yield: about 4 1/2 dozen 1-inch balls
User Rating: No Rating




1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
20 chocolate wafer cookies (about 1/2 a 9-ounce box)
1/2 cup finely chopped pitted prunes (about 15 prunes)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or 1/3 to 1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar, or colored decorating sugars, for garnish

Put chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium power for a minute. Stir and repeat until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes in all depending on the power of your microwave. Alternatively, put the chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan (without touching the water). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Process the cookies in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups ground cookies). Alternatively, put cookies inside a heavy re-sealable plastic bag and crush by moving a rolling pin over the cookies.

Stir the cookie crumbs, dried plums, confectioners' sugar, bourbon or brandy, and condensed milk into the chocolate until evenly combined.

Cover and refrigerate the mixture until firm enough to roll into balls, about 45 minutes. Scoop a tablespoon or so of the mixture into small balls with a cookie or small ice cream scoop and set onto a baking sheet or a large plate. Roll each portion by hand into a smooth ball.

Store booze balls in an air tight container at room temperature for a day to allow the flavors to come together. Store balls in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

To serve, put the sugar on a plate and roll the balls in it to coat. Serve at room temperature.