Holy Cow! Check out these candied bacon chocolate chip cookies

By Suzi Hogan

Mansfield Record

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For years we’ve used bacon as a condiment in salads, omelets and on baked potatoes. We’ve also used it to flavor a multitude of things such as steaks, seafood and beans.

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Sales of bacon have increased significantly in the past decade, however, due to an increase in the popularity of bacon. Dishes such as bacon jam, chocolate-covered bacon, chicken-fried bacon, maple bacon and candied bacon have exploded on the internet.  

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This recipe below calls for eight slices of bacon, but most packages contain 10. I encourage you to bake all 10 with brown sugar. If you are anything like me, you’ll want to taste the candied bacon and two strips  - not a pinch - will be needed!  

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Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the candied bacon:

8 slices center cut thick bacon

¾ cup brown sugar

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For the cookies:

2 ¼ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

½ cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon strips. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until crispy making sure to turn bacon over after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place the bacon on a wire rack for cooling. Once bacon has cooled, chop it finely.

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In a medium bowl, sift flour and baking soda together. In a large bowl, cream butter with the white and brown sugars. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk, and beat until light and creamy. Add in flour mixture slowly and mix well. Add diced bacon and chocolate chips and stir until just combined. It is normal for the dough to seem dry.

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At this point, I usually stick the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill.  It may add a minute or so to the cooking time, but it helps keep the cookies from flattening out in the oven.

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Place golf ball-sized balls of dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, or just until the edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the pan for two minutes before placing then on a wire rack to cool.

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Enjoy!

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Suzi Hogan is a Mansfield resident, wife, mom and Mimi to seven grandchildren. She has written cooking columns for several newspapers. If you have a recipe to share or one to request, please email her at suzi.recipes@yahoo.com.

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