Bourbon Ball Brownies
It was six years ago to the day that the Farm became ours. It was a strange sort of December—the snow hadn’t fallen yet—like it was waiting for us to be safely in before it reared its ugly head. And sure enough, the very next morning, a white blanket covered the ground.
A day like to-day deserves its very own special treat; don’t you think? I am glad you agree. Yesterday, I was trying to think what that could be. What would be special enough? I guess that’s one downside of making sweeties so very often—they don’t feel all that special anymore. But there is one that is, at least for me: The Bourbon Ball.
Every Christmas the Farmer gets these for me. They come from a wonderful distillery down in Kentucky near a town that’s one of the main locations for my books, and since I make it a point to physically visit each place I write about, I’ve stopped at this particular distillery a time or three. And it wasn’t (just) the bourbon that had me hooked. Their bourbon balls are the thing of dreams, each topped with a single pecan, to pay homage to their southern roots. The last time I went, I bought a box for me and a box for my dad. Neither made it home. Now, I only let myself have them on Christmas—to keep them the special treat they are.
Last night as I pondered what to make for such a momentous occasion, pictures of those Bourbon Balls filled my mind. No. I didn’t drive to Kentucky. Yes, I made a brownie coated in Bourbon Caramel goodness.
May I present to you the Bourbon Ball Brownie:
For the Brownies, melt a half cup butter and mix with it (still in the pan) one cup sugar, stirring well all the while. Add two eggs, and a tablespoon of Bourbon (why not?), stirring until smooth. Add two-third cups flour, a half cup cocoa powder, a half teaspoon baking powder, and a quarter teaspoon salt. Stir until it’s a batter. That’s it. They’re so easy to make and only use one pan. I have no idea why anyone would use a boxed mix. Pour into a nine by nine inch well-buttered pan. Set aside for now.
For the Bourbon Caramel Brownie topper:
Melt more butter, a quarter cup this time. Add to it (still in the pan) a cup of brown sugar and an egg and stir until smooth. In goes the bourbon—a good quarter cup. That gets stirred as well. Three-quarters cup of flour gets added and a teaspoon baking powder and a half teaspoon salt. All this gets mixed together until smooth. Again, simple.
Pour the Bourbon Caramel Brownie Batter over the Chocolate Brownie Batter, swirling it in a bit. Bake in a preheated three hundred- and twenty-five-degree oven for about thirty minutes or so.
These things are amazing—just the sort of treat needed to celebrate this day. Happy Birthday to you, dear Farm. May you have many more!
And if you want some of those Bourbon Balls from that lovely distillery (and who wouldn’t) here is the link:
