Candied Bacon

I made Sean a few treats on Sunday for an early Valentine's Day present.  Because we both LOVE bacon, I knew this recipe would be perfect for a sweet and savory surprise.  And... it was.  The brown sugar and crushed nuts that coat the bacon caramelize in the oven creating a sweet crunchy crust around the strips as they bake.  The result is super addicting!  We had this as a pre-dinner snack, but it would also pair wonderfully with dessert.  (Such as the chocolate cookie dough truffles, below!)

Ingredients:

1 lb (or less, as much as you want to make) sliced bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup crushed nuts (use whatever you have on hand - walnuts, pecans, hazlenuts, almonds... etc.)

2 T flour

Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover a broiler pan and the tray underneath with foil to make the clean-up easy.  Mix together the sugar, flour, and nuts in a bowl.  Dredge each slice of bacon in this mixture and place it on the broiler sheet.  I pressed more on top of each slice because it didn't seem like that much was sticking.  *If you are allergic to nuts, I would just add more sugar and I'm sure it will still taste amazing.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and barely crisp.

 Let the slices cool for a couple minutes before you remove them from the pan.  We found that the foil stuck to the bacon slightly, but it was easy to peel right off.  Break the slices into two or three pieces and stack on a plate to serve!  (if they even last long enough to make it to a plate)  Sean paired the snack with a glass of Buffalo Trace bourbon. 

I made sure Sean knows I love him more than bacon... but this recipe comes in as a close second!

Oat-Nut Granola

Granola is one of those over-priced items at stores that you can easily make in your own kitchen.  And it makes for a healthy, filling breakfast or snack.  I can still remember the smell of it baking in the oven when my mom would make it growing up.  The best thing about the recipe is that you can change it easily depending on what items you have on hand.  Here's what I did last night:

Ingredients:
5 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup each: sliced almonds, roasted sunflower seeds, peanuts, chopped walnuts, and wheat germ or ground flax seed  (totaling about 2 cups... feel free to use whatever nuts you have available)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 T butter
1 T vegetable oil
1/3 cup sweetener (I use agave nectar, but you could substitute honey, maple syrup, or corn syrup if it's your only option)
1/2 t cinnamon (other spices are fine too- cloves, nutmeg etc.)
1 cup dried fruit (cranberries or raisins are my usual)

Directions:
Turn oven to 300 degrees F
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (excluding fruit)

 
Melt the butter and peanut butter together in a small bowl in the microwave. 
Once butter is melted, stir until combined and add the oil, sweetener & spices.
Pour this mixture over your dry ingredients and thoroughly mix with your hands.  Try to coat it all evenly.

Taste the mixture to see if it needs more sweetener or spices, to your taste. You can add more if necessary, or add more oats if it seems too sweet.
Spread the mixture in a 9x15 casserole dish and place in oven

Bake for 10-15 minutes, stir, and bake again for 10 more minutes.
Repeat this step, baking for 10 additional minutes each time until the granola has acquired a golden brown color.

Let it cool, and then add your dried fruit.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Makes about 8 cups.