The holidays are not about moderation. They’re a time for caloric comfort and sweet nostalgia, for preparing and sharing confections of butter, sugar and booze. Bourbon balls perfectly encapsulate this indulgent trinity, a melt-in-your-mouth reminder of pure holiday joy. Kentucky native and food writer Lynn Marie Hulsman shares the recipe made by her mother, Betty Lou. “My mother never made a dozen or so bourbon balls; she made legions of them,” Hulsman says. “I always thought it was because so many members of our huge extended family were begging her for heavy tins full of the boozy confections. This is probably true. My mother’s bourbon balls were legendary, and the appreciation for them was ample.”