Have you noticed the explosion of bacon on the culinary scene? It seems like everywhere you turn someone is talking about some new bacon concoction they saw on a cooking show or ate at a restaurant.
I’ll admit I am a bacon freak. I love everything about it. The smell that fills the entire house while it’s cooking. The crispiness of the meat. The saltiness. The only kind of bacon I don’t like is soggy, cold bacon.
I also have an addiction for watching cooking shows and reading food blogs. I’m always amazed at the creativity of chefs and home cooks; especially when it comes to bacon. People are putting bacon in everything from brownies and cakes to ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.
They are adding cooked bacon to Bloody Mary drinks made with, you guessed it, Bacon vodka. There’s even bacon salt you can buy to garnish your cocktail glass. And, if you want to take it to another level you can add bacon flavored hot sauce.
The bacon craze has hit our house and we’ve been experimenting with all kinds of recipes. Considering the cost of some of the trendy bacon fare we choose to try it at home. A local restaurant offers a bacon wrapped hot dog for nearly four times what it costs for homemade, so if you’re trying pinch pennies think about eating at home.
I’ll admit the bacon wrapped hot dog is one of my favorites, but it’s an item that should be eaten maybe once or twice a year. You could lower the fat content by substituting with turkey hot dogs and bacon, but my philosophy is if you’re going to indulge you might as well go with the real stuff.
Homemade bacon salt has become another of my favorites. It’s a great topping for steamed green beans, baked potatoes, salads, and of course, to garnish the rim for Bloody Mary cocktails.
Bacon salt is very easy to make. Just cook a few slices of bacon to extra crispy; drain grease; and let air dry for about an hour. Break into pieces and place in a food processor, coffee grinder, or use a pestle and mortar. Add one-half teaspoon coarse salt per two strips thick bacon and grind to the consistency you prefer.
Cupcakes with bacon are a sinful grown-up treat. Nearly any flavor pairs well with bacon, but some of the better include chocolate, yellow cake, and red velvet cake. Chocolate Ganache frosting is ideal for cupcakes because it’s thinner than buttercream and frostings made from shortening.
Cooked bacon can be added to cake batter or used as a garnish, or both. Bacon lovers won’t be upset by receiving cupcakes that have bacon baked into the cupcake and sprinkled on top.
Bacon peanut brittle is another favorite, but we’ve taken it one step further by adding dried Jalapeno pepper. I use a basic peanut brittle recipe and add 2 cups of crispy bacon. Two good choices are Applewood and Cherrywood. Both complement the flavor of the peanuts without overpowering the brittle.
The combination of the sweet syrup and sugar combined with the saltiness of the peanuts and bacon and finished off with a dusting of Jalapeno pepper is a flavor explosion everyone should try at least once.
If you like fudge, you’ll love fudge with bacon. Cherrywood bacon is one of the best flavor combinations and provides a hint of smoked cherry with the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate finished with a hint of salt from the bacon.
Lastly, consider making homemade vanilla bean ice cream with candied bacon bits. Candied bacon is made by sprinkling brown sugar on top of bacon slices and baking in the oven. Once the bacon cools it is covered in sticky goodness that brings out the vanilla bean flavor.
If you love ice cream, consider investing in an ice cream maker. The flavors can’t compare with store-bought and you can create just about any kind of ice cream you can dream of.
These are just a few of the bacon concoctions we have created after being inspired by cooking shows and local chefs. Certainly, you won’t want to eat bacon every day, but when you do eat it try something new and decadent. Chances are you’ll be glad you did!