Food is divided into several groups: protein, grains, vegetables, fruits. And then there is bacon, which is in its own food group, called Addictive Food. Bacon is sweet, salty, and crunchy, which means we want to eat it at any time of day. If a piece of bacon is left on a tray, it will be eaten. There is no such thing as leftover bacon. So why not bacon in a cookie? Sounds delicious to me!

This cookie recipe is courtesy of Kelly Green Gardner, who regularly satisfies her bacon addiction (she has even made her own bacon-flavored vodka). By day, Kelly teaches high school English. By night, she writes a food blog and teaches some hip cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory, including sushi for couples and several fun Girls’ Night Out classes. Her most popular class draws on her love of literature: Wizards in the Kitchen, which uses a menu inspired by the Harry Potter series of novels. Kelly has even created her own version of The Three Broomstick’s butterbeer!

Bacon Cookies with Maple Icing 

• 4 slices thick cut, lean bacon, finely choppped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces and softened
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream 

Fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp and then drain on paper towels. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, egg, and cream and mix until well-blended. Add the bacon and knead until the dough is soft and the bacon is evenly distributed, about 1 minute. Roll the dough into one or two logs about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet (use a bit of the bacon grease or use a silicone mat). Bake until the cookies are firm and very lightly browned (they won’t get golden brown), about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Then, spread with maple icing and top with a small piece of candied bacon (recipes below).

Maple Icing

Mix a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with about 3 tablespoons of Grade B real maple syrup (add a bit more sugar, then a bit more syrup until the consistency is spreadable). According to Kelly, you MUST use the good syrup here, NOT the maple-flavored stuff. Ice the cookies when they are cool.

Candied Bacon, aka Pig Candy (optional)

Lay several slices of maple bacon on a silicone-lined sheet pan. Coat each bacon slice with light brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until the bacon is crisp, about 25 minutes. The bacon will turn a deep mahogany color; don’t be alarmed. When it’s crisp, let it cool on the rack. Then, cut it into small pieces to put on top of the iced cookies.

We are baking these bacon cookies this week; please stop by Kitchen Conservatory to taste this delicious sweet-salt combination. Betcha can’t eat just one!