Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

You read that correctly... Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. In addition to classic cookies, I wanted to go outside of the box this week and see what else was out there.

I found this recipe on Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy a few weeks ago and was instantly intrigued. Bacon in a cookie? I knew it would be interesting to say the least. Nathan loves bacon in anything, so I knew even if I didn't care for them that he would eat them!

This recipe begins with the bacon. The process of making candied bacon is very easy and smells amazing. The bacon is sprinkled with brown sugar and baked until caramelized. The candied bacon tasted great by itself and I had to stop myself from eating it before I mixed up the cookie dough.

These cookies were really good. You could tell there was something different about them, but the bacon wasn't overwhelming. It all blended well together. My only complaint about these cookies is that they were crispy. I am a chewy cookie girl, but the taste was there and that is a very important thing!



Candied Bacon-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Recipe from Sticky, Gooey, Messy, Chewy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (Chips are fine.)
1 cup Candied Bacon Bits (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line three baking sheets with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.

2. Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Whisk together the flour and salt, then sift them into the batter. Stir in the chocolate chunks and bacon bits.

3. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, scoop the cookie dough into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter, and place them 2 inches apart on each of the baking sheets.

4. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Rotate sheets halfway through baking for even browning. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days, if they last that long!

Makes about 3 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Candied Bacon Bits

Ingredients:

8 strips bacon
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or aluminum foil, shiny side down.

3. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Add the rest of the brown sugar and continue to bake until a deep mahogany color. Remove from oven and cool the strips on a wire rack.

5. Once crisp and cooled, chop into little pieces, about the size of grains of rice.

Candied bacon bits can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for a day or so, or stored in the freezer a few weeks ahead.