Candied Bacon & Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Tidy Mom

What you need:

5 slices of bacon (raw)

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups minus 2 Tbsp cake flour

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup bacon grease (chilled)

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulate sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 TBsp bourbon

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

How to make them:

Candied Bacon

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss bacon strips in 1/4 cup maple syrup in a medium size bowl, then lay bacon on prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove bacon from oven, allow to cool, then crumble and set aside.

Cookies

Heat oven to 350˚F.

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper into a bowl, set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, bacon grease, and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Stir in the vanilla and bourbon.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

Drop chocolate chips and crumbled bacon in and mix into dough.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough onto the prepared baking sheets at least 3 inches apart.

Bake until golden brown but still soft, 9-11 minutes.

Transfer sheet to wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. 

Serve warm or room temperature and ENJOY!