BOURBON FIG BALLS
My husband came home with a big bag of dried Smyrna figs so I searched for ways to use them up. My office manager loves bourbon so I soaked the figs in bourbon instead of water for this recipe. She loved them!
The original recipe made without bourbon came from “From My Bowl” blog and were called Cacao and Fig Bliss Balls.
Here’s some information about cacao nibs from Nutrition Stripped.
Bourbon Fig Balls
Ingredients
1 packed cup dried figs, stems removed before measuring
1 cup bourbon or enough to cover the figs
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 Tablespoon cacao nibs (or vegan chocolate chips)
Instructions
Place figs in a medium bowl, cover with bourbon, and let sit for 2 hours.
Pulse the almonds in a food processor until they form a coarse meal. Add in the cacao powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and pulse to combine.
Drain the figs and add them to the food processor. Process all ingredients until a uniform, crumbly “dough” forms.
Briefly pulse in the cacao nibs until evenly incorporated.
Using a tablespoon to measure, form the dough into even balls with your hands. I made 30 balls.