Hot-Spiced Bourbon Balls

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup bourbon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped
• 1.3 cups powdered sugar divided
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup 
• 2 tablespoons cocoa unsweetened
• 60  vanilla wafers crushed finely 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp.

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• wax paper

Directions

1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.
2. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Sift together 1 cup powdered sugar, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, ground red pepper. Stir together bourbon and sorghum. Gradually add powdered sugar mixture to bourbon mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in vanilla wafers and toasted pecans; stir 1 minute. (
4. Place a small amount of mixture in palm of hand, and make a fist around mixture, testing to be sure dough will hold its shape. If not, continue to stir in 20-second intervals.)
5. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.
6. Roll balls in remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
7. Chill 1 hour or until slightly firm. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.
8. *Molasses, honey, or cane syrup may be substituted.
9. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Hershey's Dutch Processed Cocoa at one tasting and Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa at another.