Bourbon Spiked Ginger Brownie Truffle Balls Food

BOURBON SUGAR AND PRETZEL TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Place the cream in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and top with the cream. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water) and, using a metal spoon, stir until melted and smooth. Add the crushed pretzels, salt and bourbon and mix well to combine. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until just set.
• While the mixture is cooling, make the bourbon sugar. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the sugar and bourbon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Spread in an even layer on the tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely before crushing into fine crumbs.
• Roll 1-teaspoon portions of the truffle mixture into balls and press in the bourbon sugar to coat. Place the truffles on the tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

BROWNIE BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine first 4 ingredients (including fudge packet from mix), stirring well.
• Spread into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near edge of pan comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Crumble brownies; place in a food processor.
• Add bourbon; process until mixture forms a ball (about 30 seconds).
• Shape brownie mixture into 24 balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
• Place nuts in a shallow bowl.
• Roll balls in nuts, pressing gently to coat.
• Store balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

BROWNIE BOURBON BITES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in bourbon. Combine flour and cocoa; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours., Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in pecans. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until cookies are set, 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

SPICED BOURBON BALL BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
• For the brownies: In a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water, combine the butter, the brown sugar, the cocoa powder, the instant coffee and the salt. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir with a silicone spatula until cool, about 2 minutes. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until the mixture gets very shiny and smooth, about 2 minutes. Your arm may get tired, but 10 more stirs and you are done! Now rest for a second, and then fold in the flour. The batter will be very thick.
• Spray an 8-by-8-inch (20-by-20-centimeter) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with two 14-by-4-inch strips of parchment paper; the parchment will make a cross in the bottom of the dish and raise out of the sides. (This creates tabs that will help you remove the brownies from the pan later.) Pour in the batter and bake until the center has just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the icing: To a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the butter and mix on medium until smooth. Turn the mixer off and add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low to combine. (I sometimes wrap a kitchen towel around the top to capture any flyaway powdered sugar.) When the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer off and repeat with the remaining sugar. Add the cardamom to the bourbon and stir to distribute the spice. With the mixer going on low, drizzle in the bourbon and continue to mix until smooth.
• Slather the icing onto the brownie and spread evenly across the entire top. Refrigerate until the icing is cold.
• When the icing is chilled, make the ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a heat resistant glass bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the chocolate to make sure all the pieces melt. Cool slightly. (You don't want it to be too hot, which would melt the icing.)
• Pour the melted chocolate over the icing and spread evenly to cover the entire top. Place back into the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to set up. This will take about 30 minutes.
• When you are ready to serve: Run a paring knife along the sides to release any chocolate or brownies from the pan. Use the tabs to lift the brownies out of the pan. Using a sharp chef's knife, divide into 16 even pieces. Enjoy!

BOURBON-SPIKED GINGER BROWNIE TRUFFLE BALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
• In medium bowl, mix brownie mix, melted butter, eggs, 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of the bourbon, the ground ginger and crushed cookies. Mix until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean.
• Cool completely, about 1 hour. In medium bowl, crumble cooled brownie into chunks; stir in remaining 1/4 cup bourbon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.
• In small bowl, place 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Drizzle or coat with melted chocolate and garnish with crystallized ginger. Store tightly covered in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 1 month.