Bacon Black Pepper Waffles

 As far as I'm concerned, waffles are honorary pancakes.  I do not judge these breakfast sisters by their shape; I embrace their likenesses, while respecting their differences.  The main thing is that they are hot, comforting...and freakin' good with maple syrup. 

 And if there happens to be bacon and black pepper in them, all the better.  And all the more embracing that will be taking place.  My kids only thought these were so-so, but keep in mind they are accustomed to toaster waffles with artificial "blueberry" bits in them; I have no one to blame but myself.  I, however, lo-o-o-o-o-ved these waffles; I froze the leftovers and ate them for breakfast all week, savoring every sweet-salty-smoky-spicy-buttery bite.  Can't wait to make them again.

 

Bacon Black Pepper Waffles (print recipe)

Makes 16 waffles

10 slices bacon

2 1/2 tsp fresh, coarsely cracked black pepper, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  To make the bacon: position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange bacon slices in a single layer across the sheet.  Sprinkle generously with 2 tsp black pepper.  Place in the oven to bake until bacon is brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place bacon slices on a plate lined with paper towels.  Once cool enough to handle, chop bacon into bite-size chunks and set aside while you prepare the waffle batter.  

2.  Set your waffle iron on a level, clean surface and turn on to preheat.

3.  To make waffles: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and brown sugar.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk.  Add the buttermilk mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture.  Stir until just incorporated.  Fold in the bacon.  Try not to overmix the batter.  If a few lumps remain, that's OK.  Cook according to your waffle iron instructions.  Serve with warm maple syrup - heaven!

Variation: If you don't eat bacon, or just want to try it a different way, subtract the bacon and black pepper and add 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon to the batter!

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies

 Speaking of man food (were we? yes), here is the smoky, crunchy, salty, sweet snack they've all been waiting for (and some of us girls, too.)  I just about died when I saw these in Joy's book - so awesome and up my alley!  I've got to remember to make these for the school bake sale next fall - they're like breakfast, lunch, and dessert in a sugar-coated cookie package.  Absolutely perfect.

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies (print recipe)
Makes about 2 dozen

8 slices bacon
1 cup all-natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1.  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon slices in a single layer.  Bake bacon until cooked through and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven (keep oven on), let cool slightly, then transfer to paper towels to cool completely.  When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the bacon and set aside.

2.  Line a clean cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and the molasses until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg, baking soda, and nutmeg, and mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.

4.  Remove the paddle attachment and the bowl and use a wooden spoon to fold in the bacon and peanuts.  Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls and roll in the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar.  Place on lined cookie sheet, and use a fork to make that distinctive peanut butter cookie crisscross pattern.  If the cookie dough begins to stick to the fork, dip it in sugar before pressing into cookie.  Dough will be a little crumbly, just press together with your fingers as necessary.

5.  Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies will be crumbly and delicious!  Cookies will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

1 year ago:  Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
2 years ago:  Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter
3 years ago:  Strawberry Flip Cookies 

Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones

Let me paint you a scene, and I hope my verbal weakness doesn't make it too blurry.  It's the setting in which these scones were made, and the mood I was in.  Humor me.

Two days before Christmas.  Ed took the girls on a surprise outing to the movies after dinner and I had the house to myself.  The dishwasher gently churned.  The Christmas tree lights burned bright.  I donned my apron and set my Christmas music to shuffle on iTunes.

I worked slowly, deliberately, making these scones for breakfast the next morning with the leftover bacon from dinner.  Grated my butter.  Measured sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg.  Worked them together with my pastry cutter.  Folded in the buttermilk and bacon.  Letting my thoughts wander where they would, mostly touching on old friends I'd recently gotten Christmas cards from, and also those I hadn't.  Chris Benson.  Melanie Henrich.  Jake White.  Kat Young.  Flipping through good, and sometimes bittersweet, memories.  Drinking S. Pellegrino from the bottle.

Then a new song came on, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Lisa Arrington (you can hear a sample here.)  My thoughts turned to Christmas, to my spiritual roots, to my faith in Jesus Christ.  I kneaded the dough and patted it into rounds. 

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger, 

Interposed his precious blood.

Brushed the dough with butter and sprinkled it with turbinado sugar.  Cut into wedges, slid the scones into the oven.  Let the house fill with tempting scents as I sat in the living room, staring at the lit tree, contemplating the birth, life, and death, that means so much, means everything, to me.  That made my life, my family, my friends, everything, possible. The only reason Christmas is important.

I know this is a baking blog, and spiritual sharing is a bit out of the ordinary.  But I had a special time making these, and I wanted to write it down. 

'Cause you don't really need me to say much about the scones themselves.  I mean, look at them.  Look at the title.  Look at the recipe.  Brown sugar, bacon, maple glaze, etc.  No more words are needed.

 Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones (print recipe)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cups (12 T) cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (plain or Cinnamon Sugared Bacon, recipe below)
Coarse sugar for sprinkling

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Grate the cold butter and replace into fridge and freezer while assembling the other ingredients.

2.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until it forms coarse crumbs.  Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.  Fold in bacon crumbles.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

3.  Divide in half and pat into 7-inch rounds.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Cut into 6 or 8 wedges.

4.  Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes.  Top with maple glaze.  Makes 12 to 16 scones.

Maple Glaze
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 4 T water

Combine syrup, vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until combined.  Add 1 T water and stir in.  Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.  Pour over scones.

Cinnamon Sugared Bacon
5 to 8 slices bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.  Dredge the bacon in the sugar, both sides, and lay on a wire rack set over a foil-covered baking sheet.  Bake the bacon fro 20-25 minutes or until crispy.  AMAZING!

 Recipe from HowSweetEats.com

Bacon and Gruyère Muffins

Maybe it's time for something a little different. Savory. Unexpected. Something with bacon.
These have the craggy look of a biscuit, but the tender crumb of a muffin. Gorgeous pockets of melted nutty Gruyère cheese and yummy big bits of smoky, salty bacon make an elegant but very satisfying breakfast package. Serve 'em with eggs, fruit and cocoa. Or grab one for a breakfast-on-the-go. Whatever you choose, these are just the thing. Everything's better with bacon.
Bacon and Gruyère Muffins (print recipe)
8 thin slices smoked bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
4 T unsalted butter, melted*
1 cup milk
2 T sour cream or plain yogurt
3/4 cup finely diced Gruyère or Swiss cheese (about 3 to 4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease 11 standard muffin cups with butter, spray or paper liners. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp, 6-8 minutes, turning as needed. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain. Let bacon cool, then crumble. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and sour cream until blended. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the bacon and cheese just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix.

4. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup. Bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 11 muffins

*For added bacon flavor, hello, replace 2 T of the melted butter with 2 T of the bacon fat.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Muffins