It’s now a tradition: one new and original chocolate bacon recipe from this column per year is released around the time of the Super Bowl.
First, it started with Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes. Then, it was followed by the ultra-decadent Chocolate Bacon Cheesecake. (Yes, it was slightly outrageous, but it was so rich and so good.)
When football season kicked off this year, thoughts of this year’s Super Bowl Chocolate Bacon challenge started to percolate in my mind. I knew it had to taste good. It had to involve chocolate and bacon. It had to be decadent and unique.
While it’s fun to play around with the creation of a new recipe, a baker needs taste testers, and a baker concocting a recipe that involves a meat product, needs resources in the form of knowledgeable butchers. Enter the guys at Bianchini’s Market in San Carlos. Jim, the manager, and his butchers have been a part of this venture since it started three years ago.
The great part of having objective taste testers is that they’ll respond with honest feedback, and this recipe went through the ringer. It wasn’t until the third go-round that we had a winner.
I hope you enjoy this year’s Chocolate Bacon Super Bowl dessert:
Chocolate Bacon Cookies
Ingredients:
3 slices of thick-cut bacon (If you want a heavier bacon presence, use 5 slices.)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard, which can be found at Bianchini's)
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons smoky sea salt + some for sprinkling on top (I like the finely ground alderwood smoked sea salt)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook bacon over medium-high heat until it is evenly browned on both sides. Lay flat on paper towels to absorb excess grease. When cool, cut one slice of bacon into ¼” strips and set aside. This will be used for your garnish. Crumble the rest.
Combine flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a bowl.
In a double boiler over low heat, melt the butter and semisweet chocolate chips, stirring constantly until consistency is smooth.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and creamy.
Add the melted chocolate.
Add your dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and mix well.
Add the crumbled bacon.
Drop by rounded tablespoons* onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle tops of cookies with smoky sea salt and insert bacon strip into top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let cool on a rack.
Serve these up with your favorite game day beverage, and you’ll be the talk of the town.
Visit Bianchini’s Market today!
Bianchini’s Market
810 Laurel St.
San Carlos
NOTES:
Makes 48 2-inch cookies.
*I like to use the OXO Good Grips cookie scoop for a consistent cookie size.
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