Date Pecan Bourbon Truffles Food

BOURBON-PECAN TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil; remove from heat, and add chocolate and bourbon. Let stand 3 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl, and refrigerate, uncovered, until thick and firm enough to spoon out in mounds, about 2 hours.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Drop level tablespoons of chocolate mixture onto baking sheet. Refrigerate chocolate mounds until firm, 30 minutes.
• Place pecans in a shallow bowl. Using hands, roll each chocolate mound into a ball; roll balls in pecans, pressing lightly to adhere, and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate truffles until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

BOURBON PECAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir once to mix the chocolate and cream together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Uncover and whisk until smooth and shiny. Microwave in 10 second increments if there are any un-melted lumps of chocolate. Stir in the bourbon.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the chocolate and set aside in a cool place until the chocolate is thick and firm enough to hold its shape when rolled, about 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Use 2 spoons to drop small mounds of chocolate onto the baking sheet. Then, with cold hands, roll each truffle between your open palms to make smooth round balls. You may need to run your hands under cool water frequently as you work.
• Put the pecans on a plate and roll each truffle until well coated. Refrigerate until very cold.

PECAN AND CHERRY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned and toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then chop very finely.
• Put the bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Heat the heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the cream is steaming and the butter has melted; pour over the chocolate, then let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk together until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. If there are any bits of unmelted chocolate left, microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. Add the pecans and cherries and stir to combine.
• Cool the mixture to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is firm but still pliable enough to scoop and roll, about 3 hours.
• Spread some sugar on a plate and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape heaping teaspoons of the chocolate mixture into balls and then roll in the sugar to coat. Store in the refrigerator.

ALMOND-PECAN DATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a microwave, warm apple juice. Stir in dates; let stand 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Remove dates from apple juice; discard liquid. Transfer dates to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment; process until smooth. Add pecans and spices; pulse just until combined (mixture will be thick). , Shape mixture into 1-in. balls; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate, covered, 30-60 minutes., Roll date balls in almonds.

DATE-PECAN BOURBON TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with foil. Mix dates and 1 tablespoon bourbon in bowl; set aside. Bring cream, syrup, butter and nutmeg to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth and melted. Stir in date mixture and remaining 1 tablespoon bourbon. Freeze mixture until firm enough to mound on spoon, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Drop chocolate mixture by rounded tablespoons onto foil-lined sheet. Freeze until almost firm, about 10 minutes. Roll each mound in pecans. Chill until firm. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Serve cold.

BOURBON PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the bourbon, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl (it may get clumpy looking--that's ok) and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and coconut oil until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups of the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 1 more minute. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the dry ingredients in four batches, alternating with the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry. Stir in the pecans.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whip to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes total. Fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds.
• Pour into a bundt pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool before turning the cake out of the pan.
• For the glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, bourbon and 2 tablespoons water. Once the cake is cool, top it with the glaze and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

DATE PECAN BARS

Steps:

• To prepare filling, mix together dates, sugar and water in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Allow to cool. Add pecans.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and brown sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture until well blended. Press half of the filling into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Spread with cooled filling. Cover with remaining filling mixture, patting lightly. Bake until lightly browned (approximately 25 to 30 minutes). Cool and cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE-BOURBON TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Set a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water to make a double boiler. Put chocolate, cream and salt in bowl and heat until chocolate is completely melted, about 15 minutes.
• Add vanilla and bourbon and whisk thoroughly, until mixture is smooth and shiny. Pour into a pie plate or baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Use a melon baller or soup spoon to make rough 1/2-ounce spheres. Roll between cocoa-dusted palms, then in crushed nuts. Refrigerate, but don't serve them ice cold; remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving.

PECAN PIE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Use your hands to make sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated.
• Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate (we recommend tempering the chocolate, but if you don't, they'll still be delicious, just a bit messy). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, then place onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 15 minutes or until firm.