How to cook like me...a baking edition.

So, back during my steak and kidney pie escapade, my sweet friend Trudy suggested I bake everyone something.  She had a good idea, so I went through my recipe book and then it dawned on me - I'll make y'all an old favorite around here.  Something I usually just make for holiday breakfasts and such.  I know you're wondering if I'm going to use...um, parts...for this and I am!  I'm going to use the bacon part.

Mmmm, bacon.  Who doesn't love it?  Bacon even makes Jews and Muslims sinful, at least some of them.  *nods*  But now, what fun is bacon?  I mean, everyone makes bacon, right?  Sure.  But does everyone make bacon cookies?  I think not! You're going to, though, after reading this...trust me, you will!  They're good!  Are they the best cookies ever?  No, probably not, but they're very tasty and everyone loves the novelty of eating a bacon cookie so they'll probably be a hit in your house unless you're super-observant or something and really, bacon is worth risking Hell for.  So, get your pen and paper ready to write all this down.

First, fry your bacon.  The recipe makes roughly 30 cookies and calls for 1/2 pound, fried.  I use a heavy 1/2 pound...like 3/4 of a pound...because hey, it's bacon and you can't get too much.  What you see above was fried last night and was fresh out of the fridge, which is why it might look a little stiff.  For the record, I fried 2 pounds because, you know, it's *bacon. Oh, and a tip - if you like chewier cookies, don't fry your bacon until it's crisp.  Make sure it's done but keep it limp. We're limp bacon lovers in this house but it's up to you. You want a crisp cookie?  Fry your bacon to death. It's not my business.

The ingredients are pretty simple...your bacon, 2 cups of raisin bran cereal (if you really like raisins, add maybe 1/4 cup more or pick extras out of the box), 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 egg, a stick of salted butter, 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup of white sugar.  Now, a few options:  If you have any on hand, about 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract is nice to add in if you love maple. Also, this is a sweet cookie and the bacon is subtle.  If you want to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt or Bacon Salt, you can and it'll enhance the bacon flavor more.  I don't since I try to watch my sodium.  *laughs*
  

Offer some bacon to the sweetest old lady cat who ever lived (19 this August!) and fuss at her for being on the counter, knowing full well she's deaf and has no clue and wouldn't give a shit if she did hear you.  When she rejects your bacon, eat it yourself, despite the fact her nose and mouth actually touched it.
Whaaaaaat?  It's not like I can add it to the dough now.

Tear your bacon up into roughly 1/2" bits.  Eat some. After all, the recipe does really call for 1/2 pound and that gives you permission.

Add your butter and sugar together and cream it.

Add the egg and cream that, too. By the way, if you get thirsty, these go well with bacon cookies.

Anyway, around this time you should preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your cookie sheets however you do them.  I use parchment paper because I like to live the dream that I'm rich and parchment paper is one of the ways in which I do so.  You do whatever you usually do with cookies.

Add your flour and baking soda.  Mix.  And seriously, if you're going to make these, those fancy Kitchen-Aid mixers will screw it all up.  You have to use a 10 year old Black & Decker hand mixer with most of the attachments missing. 

Now you dump the raisin bran and bacon in.  Mix it by hand until everything is well incorporated.

It'll look like this if you didn't fuck it all up.  I had to use a heavier cooking spoon to mix with, since it becomes a fairly stiff batter.  Oh, God, I heard 3 of you snicker when I said "stiff". Stop it.

Place teaspoons full about 2" apart.  It's important you use the ugliest cookie sheet you can find.
Okay, not really...all of mine are ugly.  Anyway, bake them for 15-18 minutes at 350.  15 keeps them chewier. 

Have y'all ever seen these?  They are such a great invention!  I think the company is "Neese" that makes them and they are just wonderful for bags of cereal, chips, crackers, etc.

See how they seal up my cereal with a zip-loc top?  And you get 20 for around $2.50. These are the large size and 10 mediums come in the box, too. 

15 minutes later and the cookies are out...they aren't the prettiest things ever, but that's okay. Neither am I.  Or you.  :-P

The recipe makes a plate full and see how good they look?  Sweet, gently bacon-y, chewy goodness.  Don't you want to make them now?  If you do, don't forget that since they do contain meat, you should refrigerate them. The cookies do warm up nicely in the microwave, though, and are excellent dunked in hot coffee.  Show of hands...who is intrigued and thinking of trying them?