I made my grandmother's no-bake whiskey ball recipe for the first time, and it was so easy that I plan to pass it down to future generations

As a kid, I loved three things about Christmas: no school, presents, and whiskey balls. I didn't know any other families who ate whiskey balls for Christmas, so it always felt like a special secret my grandmother shared with our family each year.

My grandmother doesn't remember where she inherited the recipe from, but she used to make it with her four children in the 50s and 60s. Then, my grandmother tasked me with helping when I was a kid in the 2000s. Now, as an adult, I tried making the entire recipe by myself.

To make whiskey balls, you'll need the following:

• 50 vanilla wafers
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 tbsp Karo corn syrup
• 3 shots of whiskey

This recipe, which takes around 20 minutes, makes around 16 whiskey balls, depending on how large each ball is.

According to my grandmother's recipe, crush the vanilla wafers until they're a crumbly, slightly fine texture. You don't want the wafers to be too finely crushed because it will be harder to form them into balls.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, you can crush the wafers in a plastic bag. To save time, use a food processor on the "chopped" setting. While the plastic bag method is nostalgic, I used a food processor for my whiskey balls.

Like the wafers, take one cup of nuts and chop them into smaller pieces. My grandmother said you can substitute with pecans or walnuts, but my family typically uses pecans.

Feel free to use a food processor to break down the pecans, or carefully use a cutting board and knife to do the job.

Now, we're going to mix the whiskey, corn syrup, wafers, and pecans before forming them into balls.

My grandmother used J&B Scotch Whisky, but local stores in my neighborhood didn't carry that. She said Jim Beam was also a good choice, which is what I ended up purchasing.

The corn syrup will act as a sweetener in the recipe and blend with the whiskey's sharp taste. Mix the whiskey and corn syrup evenly.

At this point, you'll see a wet batter form when the wafers get added to corn syrup and whiskey.

The chopped nuts will help the whiskey balls stiffen a bit, but expect the batter to still be wet.

Add more vanilla wafers if you want the whiskey balls to be firmer.

Rolling the batter into balls will be messy because they're still wet, so I suggest coating your hands in some all-purpose flour to prevent it from sticking to your hands. I also recommend covering the bottom of your storage container with parchment paper and a thin layer of powdered sugar.

Roll each ball in powdered sugar and transfer it to a storage container. Once each whiskey ball is covered in sugar, refrigerate overnight until the batter has firmed.

It's been years since my grandmother made whiskey balls, but they're still my favorite Christmas treat. It may go without saying, but this recipe is perfect for people who don't mind a little booze in their desserts. The whiskey takes center stage with its signature bittersweet zing on my taste buds, but the corn syrup and powdered sugar combat the taste, making the whiskey more palatable.

The best thing, in my opinion, about the whiskey balls' texture is the pecans because they add a much-needed crunch to an otherwise soft dessert. The recipe has been in my family for at least three generations, and it's one I hope to pass on.