Top ‘o the morning to ya! St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner so, of course, an on theme HIH recipe is a must! The HIH Drunk Leprechaun Truffles are a play on a traditional Kentucky Bourbon Ball, swapping the bourbon for Irish whiskey and adding some green and gold flare. Guests would consider themselves lucky to enjoy one of these truffles at any St. Patty’s Day celebration.
If you’re familiar with bourbon balls, you know there’s a reason bourbon is featured in the name. They are very bourbon forward. Drunk Leprechaun Truffles are no different! If you choose to incorporate the Irish whiskey in this recipe, you’ll first taste the chocolate shell, then the creamy sweet center, and finally the treat finishes with a flavor which unmistakably whiskey. That said, if you’re celebrating with those under 21, keep in mind while there isn’t enough alcohol to reach a level of concern for intoxication, whiskey is still a key ingredient. You can certainly omit whiskey as an ingredient and call them Lucky Leprechaun Truffles! If you’re a whiskey lover like me, you could add a splash more!
Keys to Success
- Taste as you go. As written, these treats are meant for those who enjoy whiskey. If you’re concerned your truffles might end up being too strong, add the whiskey about a tablespoon at a time, tasting as it incorporates until you reach your desired strength of whiskey flavor.
- Add the powdered sugar slowly. If you add your powdered sugar all at once or too quickly, you’ll risk having to wipe a dusty layer of sweetness from the surface of your kitchen. Additionally, by adding in stages, the butter and sugar will have an easier time becoming friends. It will seem like there’s WAY too much sugar for the butter, but I promise it will all cream together well. Any grittiness will be smoothed out when the whiskey is added.
- Don’t skip the chill. The filling is much easier to work with when it’s chilled. If you attempt to dip your truffle filling into the warm chocolate at room temperature, it will likely melt and the truffles could lose their shape.
- Use gloves if you don’t want green hands. If you’re leaving your truffles rustic, you can ignore this advice. However, if you’re planning to hand roll to smooth out the surface after scooping and don’t want your hands to be tinted green, I highly recommend using gloves. Just make sure they are the powder free kind.
Make it Festive
If you know me, you know I love a good theme! It doesn’t take much to take something from simple and generic to perfectly on theme. Below I’ve linked everything you need for an unmistakable St. Patrick’s Day treat.
In addition to a festive look, you’ll want to select an Irish whiskey you enjoy since these are a very whiskey forward treat. My favorite is Jameson! It’s smooth and slightly sweet in flavor and can be easily found at your local liquor store at a reasonable price point. If you’re looking to impress with a bougie version of this treat with a finer Irish whiskey, my husband and I both enjoy several varieties of Irish whiskey from Redbreast.
Drunk Leprechaun Truffles
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer with metal mixing bowl
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 pair rubber or laytex gloves
- 1 small spring loaded cookie scoop
- 1 sheet pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 lbs confectioner's powdered sugar
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup Irish whiskey, add up to 1 additional tablespoon for a more assertive whiskey flavor without compromising texture. Reduce by 1 tablespoon for a hint of whiskey.
- 3-5 drops green food coloring, gel, or paste
- 2 cups melting chocolate wafers, white or milk, whichever your preference.
- St. Patrick's Day themed sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer with a deep metal bowl, add the soften butter and about 1 cup of the powdered sugar and begin to mix on low, gradually increasing to medium to prevent the sugar from going all over. Continue to add the remaining powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until well combined. Mixture will be slightly crumbly.
- While the mixer is going, add 3-5 drops of food coloring, gel, or paste. Adjust the amount of coloring until the desired color is achieved.
- With the mixer continuing to run, slowly add the whiskey, about 1 tablespoon at a time until fully combined. If you prefer a less boozy taste, reduce the amount of whiskey by half or omit all together. Turn off the mixer and scrap down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Using a small spring loaded cookie scoop, scoop level scoops of the green filling and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Make sure the sheet pan will fit in your fridge. When finished scooping, place the sheet pan in the fridge.
- Optional if you prefer a more refined truffle: after 30 minutes in the fridge, gently roll each ball to smooth out any harsh edges. I recommend using Laytex (or similar) gloves for this step. Return to the fridge for another 1 hour 30 minutes.For more rustic truffles, just refrigerate for 2 hours.
- 15 minutes prior to the completion of the refrigeration time, melt the melting chocolate wafers per package instructions.
- Remove the balls from the fridge and dip into the melted chocolate using a fork. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off through the tines of the fork and return to the parchment paper. Repeat with all of the balls. If you're decorating with sprinkles, make sure to add the sprinkles before the chocolate gets too hard.
- Return the finished balls to the fridge for another 2 hours.
- The balls will hold at room temperature for serving, but they are sensitive to heat. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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