LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — When a Louisville woman lost her corporate job, she took a chance and started making bourbon balls.
It’s been sweet success ever since.
Patty Browning, the owner of Derby Balls, has a passion for making candy.
"My mom and her friends always made bourbon balls for fun and I was never a fan of them. I tried one later and said 'This is really good,' so I started making them for parties and for friends and family," Browning said. "Everyone kept saying this is the best bourbon ball and you should go into business."
Browning eventually did, and her bourbon balls are now in high demand.
For the filling, it's a secret recipe.
"It's my secret ingredient. It's basically a butter cream with powdered sugar a hint of bourbon and toasted pecans," Browning said. She also focuses on quality ingredients.
"I use really nice Belgian chocolate that I source from Belgium and so it's really smooth and creamy."
WDRB visited her kitchen at Stoneware and Company, where Browning demonstrated how she rolls the filling, dusts it with powdered sugar, dips it in chocolate and tops it with a pecan.
She said her location inside Stoneware has helped her business grow.
"It's amazing. I get a lot of walk in traffic. First of all, I'm centrally located. If someone places an order online, they can pick up an order here," she said.
While her candy business is thriving, Browning is expanding into something new — cookies.
"I recently bought a cookie business from a couple who was retiring and was one of their biggest customers. So when I heard they were retiring, I panicked and said 'Where am I going to get my cookies?' A co-worker here at Stoneware said you should buy them and I said, I should buy them... and I did."
During peak seasons, business is booming.
When asked how many Derby Balls she sells each season, Browning said, "Gosh, people ask me that all the time. Through Derby season, I probably sell 15,000."
She said she sells about the same amount during the Christmas season.
And yes — she samples her own product regularly. She said she eats Derby Balls every single day.
To order her Derby Balls, click here.
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