Bacon Brownies

  • Bacon Brownies

    I finally hopped on the bandwagon and I feel like I’ve wasted two to three years of my life by not doing it sooner.  It’s not kale.  It’s not quinoa.  (Both excellent in a salad; not so much in a fudge brownie.)  No, we’re talking about pork here.  Of the bacon variety.

    It was our friend Jon’s birthday and we got him tickets to the upcoming Baconfest in Chicago, a gluttonous $100 extravaganza of all things bacon (plus seven drink tickets- hell yeah!).  (The Husband and I went four years ago and every time we talk about it, which is strangely a lot, Jon gets that hickory-smoked-bacon look of envy in his eye.  We knew he needed to go- with us and his beautifully pregnant wife, whom we know will appreciate the cured pork more than the drinks at this stage of gestation.  More Bacon Bloody Mary’s for Jon, I guess.)

    To seal the deal on the bacon-themed birthday, bacon had to find its way onto the dessert.  But not just any bacon, Niman Ranch bacon (quite possibly the best ever, other than what The Publican serves, but that’s a restaurant with a pig not in but as its logo, so one has to expect their bacon to be bananas).  Niman Ranch bacon sprinkled with brown sugar as it baked, bacon.

    Bacon and chocolate.  Done.  What’s next?  Bacon and maple something or other.  Or am I too late?  Is bacon out now?  (If they are still selling out tickets to Baconfest, bacon still has to be cool.)

    Adapted from my World’s Greatest Fudge Brownie recipe…

    BACON:

    7 slices bacon (preferably Niman Ranch, but your favorite will do), mostly-cooked and chopped

    2 tablespoons light brown sugar

    BROWNIE:

    4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate (the better the chocolate, the better the brownie)

    3/4 cup unsalted butter

    2 cups sugar

    2 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla

    3 lightly beaten eggs

    1 cup flour

    1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Optional: 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

    1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9 x 13″ foil-lined pan; set aside.
    2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Spread bacon across foil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake for 15 minutes, until cooked but not too crispy.  Chop into small pieces; set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, melt chocolate & butter in microwave for 2:15 minutes and stir.
    4. Stir in sugar, then vanilla, then eggs, then salt, espresso powder (optional) & flour.
    5. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle bacon pieces evenly over surface of batter.
    6. Bake for 28-30 minutes (until center is just set); cool & cut into squares.

    Tips:

    • Can I make it in a pie plate instead?  That’s what I did here.  It was a deep-dish one so 28 minutes was still about right.
    • What kind of chocolate should I use?  The best you’re willing to fork over cash for.  I like Callebaut chocolate… I was using Guittard for the last few years and now see that Callebaut is just… creamier or something.
    • Can I stir the bacon into the brownie?  What a good idea.  Just make sure you cook it first.  You don’t want a raw blob of bacon fat ruining your brownie bite (as though it could).
    • Enjoy!

     

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    March 26th, 2016 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: ,

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