3791. CHOCOLATE CHIP TOFFEE BACON COOKIES

makes about 48 cookies

2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup toffee bits

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 + 1/2 cup (about 10 slices) baked bacon, crumbled

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on slow speed until well blended. Mix in toffee bits, 3/4 cup crumbled bacon and chocolate chips. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours to overnight. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading when you bake them.

Remove dough from the fridge 10 minutes before baking. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Top each cookie with the 1/2 cup bacon crumbles. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly then switch from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

bacon recipe source: MarlaMeridith.com (@MarlaMeridith), December 31, 2015

3641. MAPLE BACON CRUNCH ICE CREAM

yields about 1 quart


10 slices bacon
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 cup toffee bits
2 (8 ounce) containers Cool Whip (regular, light, or fat-free) (see note)

Cook the bacon until crisp but not burnt. Drain and cool on paper towels. Crumble. Place the sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Stir in the maple extract and toffee bits. Fold in the Cool Whip and the crumbled bacon. Place ice cream mixture in an airtight container. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with chocolate sauce for an even better flavor!

Note: If you don't want to use Cool Whip, you can substitute fresh whipped cream. Beat 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form and add it instead of the Cool Whip before freezing.

bacon recipe source: Dorothy Kern, Crazy for Crust (@crazyforcrust), July 15, 2014

3590. BACON TOFFEE

yields about 3 cups 


1½ cups heavy cream 
1 (1-pound) box dark brown sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon salt 
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 
2 ounces rendered bacon fat (from about 4 slices thick-cut bacon)

In a heavy medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes being careful not to let it get too hot and bubble over.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter followed by bacon fat; stir until thoroughly combined. Serve sauce warm. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 10 days.


bacon recipe source: Claudia Fleming, "Heralding the Holidays with an Apple Crostata," The New York Times, November 22, 2013

3229. CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON TOFFEE

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced almonds
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (should make about one cup)
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Layer a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Put a glass measuring cup next to the pan.

In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir regularly until the mixture boils and comes to a 285 degrees F.

Once the mixture has reached the right temperature, quickly stir in the almonds, and then the bacon. The fat is going to melt off the bacon immediately and separate from the rest of the mixture.

Pour it all into the jelly roll pan. It will start to set quickly, and the bacon fat will be liquid and on top. Lift the pan with one of the corners pointed down and pour off the fat into the glass measuring cup. Get as much of it as you can, turning the pan and dripping from the opposite corner as necessary.

Let the toffee set for at least two hours in the refrigerator. Move to the freezer for an hour.

Once the toffee is frozen, break it apart and keep it in the freezer. Melt the chocolate according to the package directions, and taking a few pieces of toffee out of the freezer at a time, dip it in the chocolate, setting it on wax paper to set.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lisa Longley, wine & glue, April 26, 2013

2752. SALTINE TOFFEE BACON BARK

1 pack of saltine crackers

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup cream

9-12 oz. dark chocolate (disks, chips or chunks)

1/2 cup (or more) toasted chopped pecans (or other nuts)

2-3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Line the crackers facing up, side to side in a lined baking pan. In a saucepan, heat the brown sugar and cream to boiling and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring.
 Carefully pour the brown sugar toffee over the crackers in your pan and bake in the oven on preheated 350F for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate all over the toffee. Let rest for a few minutes, then using a spatula, spread the melted chocolate out evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and bacon and allow to cool for 15 more minutes. Place in the refrigerator to help set the chocolate for about 20 minutes or more.

Break into pieces and serve, or you can hold in an airtight container or freezer for a couple days. 


bacon recipe courtesy of: Cathy Shambly, ShowFood Chef, February 26, 2011

1911. PEANUT BRITTLE with BACON, CHOCOLATE and FLEUR DE SEL

makes about 2 cups


½ cup butter
½ cup brown rice syrup
3 strips organic bacon, about 3 tablespoons chopped finely
3.5 ounces 70% dark chocolate
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
few pinches fleur de sel

In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter. Then add the brown rice syrup and bring to a simmer or medium high heat stirring with a wooden spoon frequently.

Once the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, using a spoon place a drop in a glass of cold water to test if it hardens. Once it does, you know it’s done. Watch over it carefully as it will start to burn quickly. Add the bacon bits and peanuts and stir until combined.

Spread the mixture over a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan so that it is no more than 1/8 inch thick. Allow to set in a cool place.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over low heat. Once the toffee has set, pour the chocolate over the toffee and spread in a thin layer overtop, sprinkle with fleur de sel and cool in the refrigerator. Once set, break into smaller pieces and enjoy!


bacon recipe courtesy of: Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine, Colombe du jour, January 8, 2010

1734. BACON, POTATO CHIP and TOFFEE BRITTLE

yields four cups


6 oz. butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup bacon lardons, fat reserved for cooking
1/2 cup almonds, smoked
1/2 cup potato chips, chopped roughly
1 1/2 lb. chocolate, bittersweet, 62 to 70% cacao, melted

Potato Chip Butter Cookies with Caramel Buttercream
8 oz. butter, room temperature
15 1/2 oz. sugar
1 teaspoon salt, plus as needed
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups potato chips, crushed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 1/2 oz. corn syrup
powdered sugar as needed

Melt butter in heavy-duty saucepan. Add sugar, water, corn syrup, salt, vanilla and a tablespoon of reserved bacon fat to pan. Cook mixture until sugar reaches amber color. Pour onto a sheet pan lined with foil and reserve until set. Let set.

Chop toffee, then combine with almonds, chips and bacon in a bowl. Cover mixture with melted chocolate, then pour back onto sheet pan and spread evenly, as thin as possible. Reserve, refrigerated, until firm. Crack into shards.


Potato Chip Butter Cookies with Caramel Buttercream: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and 3 1/2 ounces sugar, then add pinch of salt, vanilla and 2 cups potato chips and mix until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).

Scoop dough into desired size and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, leaving a 2-inch space between each cookie. Press thumb in center of ball, creating a thumbprint. Bake until cookies are golden brown (about 8 to 10 minutes). Reserve to cool.

To make caramel, pour 6 ounces sugar, corn syrup and 1 tsp salt in a heavy-duty saucepot and cook until medium amber in color. Meanwhile, heat cream to warm. When sugar is medium amber in color, return to a boil before mixing in remaining sugar. Add warm cream in small batches, reducing after each addition. Remove pot from heat and reserve to cool before adding to cookies.

To assemble, put a dollop of caramel in center of each cookie. Refrigerate to cool and set caramel. Sprinkle remainder of crushed chips on top of caramel, and dust lightly with powdered sugar.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef-Owner Mindy Segal, Hot Chocolate, 1747 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60647, (773) 489-1747 | Idaho Potato Commission, 661 South Rivershore Lane, Suite 230, Eagle, Idaho 83616, (208) 334-2350

1517. CANDIED BACON TOFFEE

For the candied bacon:
3/4 pounds of bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Toffee:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon dark unsulfured molasses
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the bacon: On a foil-lined sheet pan, lay out your bacon strips. Coat the top with brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes, flipping over half way through the baking time.

Allow the bacon to cool until warm, then cut (with scissors) into 1/4-1/2" pieces. Reserve in a separate bowl.

For the toffee: Prepare your mise en place: in a medium bowl, combine sugars, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine water and molasses. Butter a sheet pan or line with a Silpat.

Melt butter in a heavy 2 ½-quart saucepan over low heat. Add sugars, espresso powder, cinnamon, salt, water, and molasses; stir until sugar dissolves. Attach a clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium; cook until thermometer registers 290 degrees (and no less!), stirring slowly but constantly and scraping bottom of pan with a silicone spatula, about 20 minutes.

Once you arrive at 290 degrees, remove your pan from the heat, and quickly stir in the candied bacon. Immediately pour the mixture onto your prepared sheet pan; do not scrape the saucepan. Spread toffee to ¼-inch thickness. Use two forks to separate and distribute any bacon that clumps together. And finally, dust the top of the toffee with a light sprinkle of Kosher salt.

Stick the sheet pan in the refrigerator for about an hour (until the toffee is firm.) Break the toffee into pieces and store in an airtight container. Sharing is optional.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Traca Savadogo, Seattle Tall Poppy, seattletallpoppy@gmail.com, Seattle, Washington

569. PORTUGUESE BACON PUDDING with CARAMEL and FIGS

a.k.a. Pudim Do Abade de Priscos

servings: 6-8


For the pudding
390 caster sugar
300ml water
1x7.5 cm piece lemon rind
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
80g smoked bacon, rind removed and finely diced
12 egg yolks, well beaten
2 tbsp port

For the baked figs
1 fig, per portion
50ml Honey
100ml orange juice
50ml Brandy
1 tsp grated orange zest
500g toasted flaked almonds

For the bacon toffee
210g caster sugar
125ml water
40g bacon, finely shredded and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute


Heat the sugar with the water, lemon rind, bay leaf, cinnamon and finely diced bacon.

Bring to the boil and cook steadily to 220-225F on a sugar thermometer, or when a little of the mixture separates into threads when dropped into cold water. Remove from the heat, and strain through a sieve and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 240C/gas 9.

Add the egg yolks and port to the syrup and stir well. Then pour the pudding mixture into a large pudding basin or individual basins or dariole moulds.

Place the basin(s) in a bain-marie (or roasting tin filled with hot water to come half way up the basins) and cook in the oven for about 1 hour, if using a large pudding basin or about 35 minutes if using individual moulds. The pudding should be set and slightly golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool until lukewarm.

To bake the figs: trim the tops and bases of the figs and prick all over with a toothpick. Stand the figs upright in an ovenproof dish. Mix together the honey, orange juice, brandy and orange zest and pour over the figs.

Cover and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes basting from time to time.

For the bacon toffee: mix the sugar with the water in a small pan and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer until amber in colour. Add the blanched bacon.

Using a fork or spoon, drizzle the bacon toffee into patterns on non-stick parchment and leave to cool and set.

Turn out the lukewarm pudding(s) and place a fig on top of each pudding. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and drizzle with a little of the pan liquor. Top with the crispy bacon caramel and serve.


courtesy of: Alan Coxon, Great Food Live