LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bacon!

 

 

​​​​I used to think that bacon belonged in it's own food group because nothing rivals the smell of bacon cooking (my opinion).  A few years ago I went to a gathering and on the table was a beautiful array of finger foods.  Placed thoughtfully throughout were glasses full of bacon, in different flavors, standing at attention.  And oh,  they were so good!  My curiosity got the best of me so I decided to research all the possibilities of this savory, meaty snack.

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Two things I've learned along the way are to always line our baking pans with foil, then parchment paper and don't use thin bacon.  Also use the leanest bacon that you can find.  A rack can be used underneath but sometimes I choose to crumple the foil and then slightly smooth it out to elevate the bacon.  Also, keep an eye on it while cooking to keep from overbaking.  You want it brown and slightly crisp but not falling apart.

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FYI

•  I like to cover my pans with foil, then parchment to make cleanup           easier.  It's a personal choice.  

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Bacon!

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Preheat oven to 350°F.  It should take 1 full sheet pan or 2 half-sized sheet pans lined with foil and parchment paper for each pound of bacon.  Do not overlap the slices.

 

Bacon with Brown Sugar

Ingredients

•  ¼ cup yellow cornmeal, not self-rising

•  3-4 Tbsp brown sugar

•  Black pepper, to shake on top

•  1 lb thick-sliced bacon   ​

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You will need a full baking sheet or two half sheet pans, lined with foil.

 

Instructions​

1.   Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the cornmeal and brown sugar.             Dredge the bacon slices in the mixture, slightly shaking to remove         the excess.

2.  Place the bacon on the foil-lined baking sheets, leaving space                 between.   If using racks, grease them before using so the bacon             won't stick.

3.  Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes until medium to dark brown and                   slightly crisp, checking often.  Let cool about 5 minutes before                   moving to layers of paper towels to drain.​

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Bacon with Maple Syrup​

Ingredients

​•  1 lb thick sliced bacon

•  ¼ to ½ cup PURE maple syrup

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Instructions

1.   Preheat oven to 400°F.  Arrange bacon on the prepared pan,                     making sure to keep pieces separate.  Bake for 15 minutes; remove         from oven; drain fat.

2.  Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.  Brush maple syrup over the             bacon;  bake for 15 minutes.  Flip bacon over; brush with maple                 syrup; bake for about 15 minutes.  From this point on, watch                       carefully to make sure the bacon doesn't burn or get too brown.

3.  Continue baking until bacon looks like mahogany, just a few more         minutes.  Keep a close watch during the  last few minutes to keep           from getting too brown.  Transfer to greased racks to cool.​​

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Options​

•  You can dip bacon from the above recipes into chocolate, I prefer         halfway.  Let drip briefly then lay on parchment paper to harden.             Drizzled white chocolate would look amazing!

•  You can also dip plain bacon that has been baked. 

•  For a little zing, you can add up to ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper to                   either recipe.  Usually a small pinch will do nicely.

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Tips

•   I love to use wine or highball glasses for displaying my bacon.

•  A couple slices on a dessert plate with maybe some cheese straws       would brighten up a place setting or place a piece or two along side     a dessert. Yum!

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