I know it probably seems like The Spiced Life has gone bacon crazy lately, but as I mentioned in the Bacon and Farro Salad post, I just fell hard and fell quickly for Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes. At the same time, I needed a recipe that could stand up to shipping, i.e., not go stale too fast, because it is time once again for The Leftovers Club. Aside from needing to be packed carefully, these Bacon Lace Cookies fit the bill perfectly.
I loved these cookies, although it does need to be said that they are rich and candy-like, and therefore they are not the kind of dessert you can eat a lot of in one sitting. The sweetness of the pecans and the caramelized notes of the actual cookie perfectly complement the smoky, salty bacon. The texture is a fabulous combination of crisp and chewy, much like bacon itself.
This month my partner for The Leftovers Club was Jen from Juanita’s Cocina (guys! I keep getting the BEST swap partners!), and she sent me some fantastic lemon cookies. Like a dolt I already lost the card she sent (she definitely wins the award for most attractive packaging too), so I cannot remember their exact name but they were delightfully crumbly and snowball shaped. Be sure to check them out, along with everyone else’s swap creations below.
- 3 slices of bacon cooked until crispy but not burnt, and then crumbled to make about 1/3 cup of bacon crumbles, 1 T fat reserved
- 4 T (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 T light corn syrup
- 1 T heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- heaping 1/3 cup chopped pecans
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Place the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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Place the 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease into a 2 quart saucepan. Add the butter, sugar, light corn syrup, cream and salt to the bacon fat. Turn the heat onto medium and let the mixture come to a boil, stirring constantly.
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Add the flour and vanilla and continue to stir constantly for about 1 minute, until the mixture is thickened and starting to pull away from the sides of the pot.
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Turn off the heat and mix in the bacon and pecans.
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Using a teaspoon measure, drop teaspoons of the batter 3 inches apart on the cookie sheets (I placed 6 to a sheet). These cookies will spread--truly use just a teaspoon of the batter.
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Bake the cookies until they are bubbling and a darker golden, about 6-8 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through.
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Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet about 4 minutes, until you can gently move them to a cooling rack.
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Store the cookies between paper towels--although this cookie does not taste greasy, much like bacon itself it benefits from resting on paper towels to absorb any excess oil from the nuts and bacon both. The paper towels will also prevent sticking.
These are awesome!! I love the look of them and I know I would adore the crunch & flavors! A great idea for TLC!!
For real? Are these even legal?! They look and sound incredibly delicious and addictive. I’m going to take a chance and give them a try, just wondering if they come with a warning label….? Great post, and wonderful idea.
Oh wow! I love lace cookies and I think the addition of bacon is just perfect! Jen is on lucky gal to have been partnered with you this month!
Very interesting. I think I want to try one…I think.
These look beyond scrumptious! Now you have me curious about the Leftovers Club 🙂
zowie! that looks amazing. I generally avoid bacon but I might eat this if it came my way.
Here’s the thing…I just ate the last one. *sad face*
These were FABULOUS! Thank you sooooo much!
I keep seeing that book on The Good Cook and keep thinking of you! Jen was one lucky girl to receive these!
i’ve never been a fan of lace cookies…til now. 🙂
Hey, Laurie! Thanks for trying, liking, and blogging about our Bacon Lace Cookies and our Bacon Nation Farro Salad. You seem to have great cooks as fans. Let me know if we can give away a copy of our book to a deserving fan of your choice who loves bacon. With appreciation, Marie Rama
You can never go wrong with bacon-laced cookies. You just can’t. These look wonderful!
I haven’t tried the bacon in sweets host but your cookies are mouthwatering. Can’t wait to try them.
Annamaria
Oh wow. It’s been a while since I’ve had dessert with bacon, and these look just perfect!
Drooooolllllll….. And pinning now! 🙂
Oh heavens – perfection – bacon, cookies, pecans… awesome! What a clever recipe!!