Chocolate Chip-Candied Bacon Cookies

Bacon cookies? Yep! Chopped Candied Bacon adds little nuggets of smoky-savory sweetness to a classic chocolate chip cookie. I use a combo of all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour (you can find it in most supermarkets) for a little nutritional virtue. But, truth is, these bacon cookies are all about indulgence.  I like the richness of dark chocolate chips, but semisweet or milk chocolate would be just as delicious. For a really down-home treat, use a mix of chocolate and peanut butter chips. This is a recipe that invites your innovation.

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Candied Bacon

I first encountered candied bacon while working in pastry kitchen, and the combination of salty, smoky and sweet was alluring. Center-cut bacon is a bit leaner than other types of bacon, but any kind of smoked bacon will work in this recipe. Blanching the bacon in simple syrup enhances its texture, while threading the bacon onto wood skewers creates a sort of Candied Bacon “lollipop”. Depending on the size of your broiler pan, you may need to bake the bacon in two batches. You can also jerry-rig a good setup by placing a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. This bacon is great in our Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Bacon, and leftover bacon will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container. This bacon candy also is tasty crumbled over vanilla bean, butter pecan or maple ice cream, and makes a great savory-sweet nibble with cocktails (especially bourbon-based sippers).

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