Sinful...

There comes a time to throw caution (and moderation) to the wind and embrace pleasures in life - skipping class on a beautiful day, splurging a little bit on a nice dinner, treating yourself to those ridiculously cute suede pumps... or baking something with chocolate and bacon.

The finished product!

I have heard many rumors of the genius combination of bacon and chocolate, but was always skeptical. How could it possibly be that much more delicious? I used to think that bacon was only reserved for special occasions, as in my childhood where the family indulged in the crackling, fatty goodness only once a year on Christmas morning. I stand corrected.

Salty. Sweet. Fatty. Gooey. Crispy.

I followed this fantastic recipe to the letter, except for baking the brownies in cupcake liners to make it easier to handle the caramel inside and adding some candied bacon crumbles on top. While I think I have found brownie recipes I like a little bit better, I would absolutely hold onto the bacon caramel recipe that's swirled in it. The bacon on top was an easy little decoration to whip up, and it advertises the flavors inside! Candied bacon is also a lovely little snack by itself...

So here we are - a little indulgence for those days when you throw caution to the wind.

Bacon Caramel Brownies
From Steph's Bite by Bite

For the candied bacon
2 slices cooked bacon
1/8 C brown sugar

For the bacon caramel

2 slices cooked bacon

1/2 C heavy cream

1 C sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions: Cook bacon (6 slices total for the whole recipe) in a skillet over medium heat until brown but still slightly flexible. Remove bacon and place on paper towel to absorb extra fat. Pour out about half of the fat remaining in the pan and reserve the rest for the bacon caramel. Add cream to hot pan and let cool.

Place two slices of drained bacon in a smaller skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar to cover completely. Cook over low heat, turning occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, caramelized and coats the bacon (about 8-10 minutes). Transfer to paper towel again to cool.

Meanwhile, heat sugar in a large saucepan over high heat until the sugar dissolves into a dark amber colored liquid (do not stir). Add butter and cooled bacon cream all at once and stir until butter is melted. Add 2 slices of chopped cooked bacon and stir in. Let cool completely.



For the brownies
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
6 oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C all-purpose flour
2 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin with liners or spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.

Pre-baking

Melt chocolate and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl, heating for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, then add eggs one at a time. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and flour, stirring until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin tins to fill halfway, or scrape half of the batter into square pan. Dollop caramel into muffins or pour about 1/3 of it on top of the batter in the square pan. Distribute remaining batter on top of the caramel, topping with a bit more caramel and swirling it in.

Chop up candied bacon and sprinkle on top for garnish.

Bake for about 25 minutes if making cupcakes, and 35-40 if making a square sheet. Underdone is better, so you can keep it gooey!

Black and white

I have a bottle of Bailey's sitting on my countertop that stares at me every day, begging to be put to good use. It truly is the best liqueur to use in baking, but the flavor is so distinct that it can't be combined with just anything. Chocolate is the obvious choice, but what about Irish coffee? Throw a splash of Bailey's and whiskey in your coffee and you have an extra delicious combination - and inspiration for this cookie!


Checkerboard cookies are super simple but look complicated and snazzy when they're finished. They're also "icebox" cookies, which means you can make them over the course of two days if you need to. It's the perfect busy-day cookie, and also goes well with that third cup of coffee to keep you going! These cookies are basically shortbreads, made with no egg and just a lot of butter. Slightly crumbly, very tender and all kinds of delicious as the coffee/chocolate and Irish Cream flavors melt in your mouth!

Irish Cream Checkerboard Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 18 cookies

1 C unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp Bailey's Irish Cream
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp finely ground coffee
1 egg

Directions: Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until well-blended. Add salt and flour gradually. Separate dough in half, placing one half in a separate bowl. Add Bailey's to one half, and mix slowly until just combined. Clean out bowl and mix other half of the dough, cocoa and coffee in it until just combined. Place each half of the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into 7" squares about 3/8" thick. Using a sharp knife and a ruler, slice each square into 9 strips, about 3/4 inch wide. It doesn't matter all that much how wide the strips are, as long as they are the same width!

Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp water. On a sheet of plastic wrap, place three strips of dough next to each other, alternating light and dark. Brush tops and sides of each strip with the egg wash, and gently press them together. Repeat with a second and third layer, alternating colors to create a checkerboard. Wrap log in plastic. Repeat to form a second log, switching the color pattern. Refrigerate logs for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 15.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone. Slice each log according to how thick you'd like your cookies. The original recipe recommends 1/4" thick, while I liked a doughier cookie and made about 1/2" slices. Bake until lightly golden and firm, about 10-12 minutes.

Sunday morning, rain is falling...

Cheers to those who picked up on that Maroon 5 reference :)

During our recent storm, I had an (even stronger) urge to bake something sweet and a little indulgent for breakfast. At the same time, who wants to get out of bed super early to make a huge mess in the kitchen? I think this recipe finds the right balance between Saturday night prep and Sunday morning freshness, and the whole operation was very successful, in my opinion. Warm, yeasty, sweet and nutty, these buns are the perfect accompaniment for coffee and scrambled eggs - or just on their own!

Notably, this was also my first time using yeast in my baking; I shy away from it because it always seems so daunting to find the right environment for it to rise and the time commitment is a little longer than I normally have set aside for baking. However, this escapade was definitely not as intense as I expected, and I will definitely be venturing into the realm of yeast breads again!

The proportions in the original recipe make a bun that's not too sweet or gooey. While everyone who came in contact with these little guys was smitten, I honestly could have used some more glaze. If you're looking for Cinnabon-status rolls, go crazy and double the recipe for the topping. Also, I used part whole wheat pastry flour to try to offset the unhealthiness, which made the buns a little less tender than normal. Again, if you want to just take the plunge, use all white flour.


Overnight Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
From Thought For Food
Makes about 12 buns


For the dough:
1/2 C water + 1/2 C whole milk, warmed to 115 degrees
1/4 C butter, melted
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 - 3 C all-purpose flour
1 packet (2 tsp) active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt

For the glaze:
1/4 C butter, melted
3/4 C pure maple syrup
3/4 C pecans

For the filling:
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions: Mix together water, milk, melted butter, honey, wheat flour, 2 C all-purpose flour, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, mix well until a rough ball of dough forms. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Add eggs and salt, and knead while slowly adding the remaining 1/2-1 C all-purpose flour. Knead on low for about 6 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth but still shiny and slightly tacky. If it gets too dry, drizzle in a little extra water. Remove dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Meanwhile, toast pecans on a foil-lined baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Set your oven to 325 degrees and watch carefully! I burn many pecans by getting distracted... Remove from oven and chop coarsely.

Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface, knead briefly, and let rest covered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make your filling and topping. For the filling, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. For the topping, melt butter and maple syrup together in the microwave.





Roll rested dough into a rectangle 15x20". Brush surface with 2 Tbsp melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough into a 20" log (start with the long end). Using a sharp serrated knife, cut log into 1 1/2" pieces.

Pour syrup and butter into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan, then sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the bottom. Place rolls in the pan and loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap. They will fit loosely until they have a chance to rise. Place in refrigerator to rise overnight.

In the morning, discard plastic wrap and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the rolls are well browned on top. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the rolls out onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet (to catch the drippings). Let rest another 5 minutes and serve!

A beautiful morning landscape if I ever saw one!