FOOD NEWS
For Sweet Kentucky Bourbon Balls, The State's Renowned Liquor Is The Star
BY LUNA REGINA
In 1938, a confectioner in Kentucky named Ruth Hanly Booe invented a spherical candy infused with bourbon, aptly named "bourbon balls." Today, they are a delicacy in the state.
Kentucky bourbon balls, also called tipsies, are a blend of cookie crumbs, cocoa powder, chopped pecans, syrups, confectioners' sugar, and Kentucky bourbon rolled into spheres.
Despite its relative no-bake simplicity, these bourbon balls look elegant and expensive enough to be a popular choice for souvenirs and gifts, fetching as much as $55 per box.
As the balls are unbaked, the alcohol isn't evaporated away like in many other foods containing spirits. Since you ingest the booze at full strength, they are intended for adults.
Bourbon takes center stage as the primary flavor, with subtle notes of vanilla and oak from its barrel-aging process combined with pecans and bittersweet cocoa powder.