Ancient, secret, family recipe. So secret, my wife actually scowled at me for several seconds before allowing me to share with teh intarwebs. I think she allowed it only because the recipe was lost for several years, and it would be a shame for it to be lost again.

Bourbon Balls

• 1 6oz pkg chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp corn syrup
• 2.5 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• half cup powered sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• half cup bourbon

Combine powdered sugar, wafer crumbs, and nuts. Melt chips, add syrup and bourbon. Fold together. Let stand. Roll into balls and into powered sugar.

There. That’s it. The original recipe enjoyed by my wife on numerous Christmases at her grandmother’s house. The bourbon was specifically Rebel Yell. Note the total lack of cooking away the alcohol.

Nowadays? We’ve taken some liberties with it. Today, for instance, the balls were made with white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and Kahlua. Basically, you can make the “chocolate”, the “walnuts” and the “bourbon” into variables, and have totally kickass drunkifying confections that everyone loves.