makes 8 pieces of bacon and enough spread 4 sandwiches
For the Bacon:
8 slices uncooked bacon
1/4 cup freshly ground coffee
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon water
For the Spread:
4 ounces goat cheese
4 medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Sandwich:
fresh baby spinach leaves
crusty, toasted bread
Lay cascading bacon slices atop one another
so that the fat is on top. Place bacon on top of a piece of plastic
wrap or brown butcher paper. In a small bowl, stir together ground
coffee, chili powder, brown sugar, molasses, and water. Spread the
mixture on top of the bacon slices, pressing with the back of a spoon.
The coffee topping will only be on the top, fatted rim of the bacon.
Wrap the bacon and coffee in the plastic wrap or butcher paper and
place in the fridge. You may want to put the mixture in a large sealable
back to prevent any leaking. Let sit for 2 hours of overnight. When ready to bake, place a rack in the
center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper and pay separate bacon slices on the paper in
a single layer. If you prefer, you can wipe some of the ground coffee
marinade off before baking. The majority of the coffee will only be on
the top layer of the bacon slice. Bake until browned and crisp, 14 to 17
minutes, or until bacon has reached your desired crispiness. Remove
from the oven, allow to drain on a piece of paper towel and assemble
goat cheese spread. To make the Spread: In a medium bowl,
place goat cheese, pitted dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and
red pepper flakes. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together. Mash
until well incorporated. Add a touch more lemon juice or olive oil to
reach your desired consistency. Spread goat cheese mixture on buttered and toasted bread. Top with coffee bacon and fresh spinach. Serve immediately.
bacon recipe courtesy of: Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson. Hyperion, 2012 | Joy the Baker, March 1, 2012
