Chocolate-Bourbon Cake

Yield Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (8 ounces) butter, cut into pieces
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
• Hot water
• Coffee-Bourbon Syrup
• Hazelnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9- x 2-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine bourbon and sugar in a large saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and add chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside, and let cool to room temperature.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until very well blended. Fold in flour and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Set pan in a large roasting pan filled to depth of 1 inch with hot water.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting with Coffee-Bourbon Syrup every 15 minutes after a crust has developed on cake's surface.

Cool cake; cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Transfer cake onto a serving plate, and dust with remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. Top with hazelnuts.

Jeff Jackson, Jeff Jackson, Coastal Living, NOVEMBER 2007

Rum or Bourbon Balls

Out of the two "ball" recipes I have on this blog, I prefer this one. They pack a real punch and were gobbled up at my father's birthday celebration this Fall.

Ingredients:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. rum or bourbon
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 1/2 c. crushed vanilla wafers (food processor makes this step easy!)
1 c. chopped pecans

Preparation:
Stir together powdered sugar, alcohol and corn syrup. Then add the crushed wafers and chopped nuts. Mix until evenly moistened and pinch a walnut sized piece and roll it firmly between the palms of your hands, repeat until all balls have been made. Then sift 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder onto a plate, roll the balls in the powder until evenly coated. Store in an airtight tin with doilies or wax paper between layers. Recommend candy sized Christmas cups for serving.

Makes about 20 balls.

From Cooks.com