Chocolate Whiskey Balls Recipe

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There's a pretty standard belief among cooks that you never cook with any wine or liquor that you wouldn't drink in its natural, right-from-the-bottle, state. I agree. And until recently, I pretty much thought that fine whiskeys only came to Florida from faraway places like Kentucky, and maybe Tennessee. But, as the Fates and Bacchus would have it, on a recent trip to Hernando County, on Florida's “Adventure Coast,” I was driven down a country road to a backwoods distillery. It's there, between Weeki Wachee and Chassahowitzka, that Kevin and Natalie Goff lovingly create Wild Buck Rye Whiskey, in small batches, in a hand-hammered copper still and age it in charred American Oak barrels. No “white lightnin',” Wild Buck received an “87” National Rating from the highly acclaimed and prestigious.

Whiskey Advocate Magazine, beating out much more famous (and expensive!) competitors. Whiskey, especially fine whiskey, is made for sipping. A couple of ice cubes or a splash of spring water brings out the flavor, but some folks appreciate the liquor's aroma to be surrounded by more sweet smells and tastes. No, not Manhattans or whiskey sours—just simple-to-make Wild Buck Balls.

Easy Whiskey Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafers
• 1 cup finely chopped roasted pecans
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup Wild Buck Rye Whiskey
• Coatings: chopped pecans, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar

Directions

First Published Florida Sportsman Magazine April 2016

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