The hostess has received more than enough bottles of wine and plates of cookies, and she’d likely throw another mixed nut assortment at the wall. But you can’t come to the party empty-handed, so deck the halls with boozy balls. These citrus and ginger treats come together in a flash and, as a bonus, the leftover ginger liqueur will have you making cocktails for the rest of the season.
Boozy Ginger Balls Makes 3 dozen
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
¾ cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup ginger liqueur
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Place the granulated sugar and orange zest in a small, lidded container and shake well. Pour the orange sugar onto a paper plate or pie pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, mix the crushed vanilla wafers, hazelnuts and powdered sugar until combined. Add the ginger liqueur, corn syrup, orange juice and vanilla, and mix until a dough forms.
• Shape the dough into 1- to 1½-inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Balls will keep, refrigerated, up to 3 weeks, or frozen up to 2 months.
-photo by Elizabeth Maxson
This article appears in December 2014.