How to Make Big Bill Love’s Famous Bourbon Balls

OK boys and girls here is my recipe for my award-winning bourbon balls. Guaranteed to be the hit of your holiday party. Here we go -- The first items you need will be a box of vanilla wafers and a plastic baggie

dump about 3/4 of the box of wafers into the baggie and crush them into crumbs with some device like a tire iron, baseball bat or (as I have used here) a handy rolling pin.

You'll get about two cups of crumbs. The wafers will provide some sweetness so you don't need much more. I am adding 4 packs of sweet and low.

melt about two tablespoons of butter and stir it into the crumbs.

Then add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts. I am using walnuts because I am cheap and walnuts are cheaper than pecans.

Now comes the good stuff. Add about a quarter cup of good Kentucky bourbon. You may have to have a few sips to make sure it's OK .

Now stir the whole mess up until well mixed. Take a pinch or two and taste it to make sure there is enough bourbon.

Take another pinch or two. Now take a little glob and roll it into a ball just a little smaller than a golf ball. The butter will help it stay together and it will also keep the mess from sticking to your hands.

You will get about two dozen balls. Put them on a sheet of wax paper and put them in the fridge to set. When the butter hardens you will be ready to coat them in chocolate. They will need to be in the fridge an hour or so.

Now melt about three cubes of what used to be called "almond bark" - you know it's the chocolate coating that has about a dozen squares in a package and sells for about three dollars at Wal-Mart. If you want an extra treat, get the semi sweet dark kind. I like to put a little butter in with the almond bark to make it smoother.

When you have melted the chocolate in the microwave for a minute or so, stir it up good and dip the cooled naked ball into the chocolate. I use a toothpick to get it coated really good.

Then put the freshly coated balls back on the sheet of wax paper and put 'em back in the fridge so the chocolate can harden. In about an hour or so you have your tasty Big Bill Love's bourbon balls!