Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

I love the new "bacon goes with everything" phenomenon going on at the moment. I hadn't done any baking in a while so decided try this recipe I found in Food Network magazine for peanut butter chocolate chip bacon cookies. Plus, what husband wouldn't want to come home from a golf-filled morning to a house smelling of that heavenly concoction?

The original recipe only makes a dozen cookies, so I doubled it... why not? Here's the original recipe, double it if you feel so inclined. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of chipotle or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 strips bacon (1/3 pound) (Be sure to use good bacon. Don't cheap out. Also, I used more bacon which was a good call!)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped honey- roasted peanuts (I did not add these and did not miss them!)
• 1/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside to cool. 

Crumble the bacon, discarding (or eating) any chewy bits.

Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.

Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top (I forgot to do this step since I mixed all the bacon in with the dough... whoops). Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

*I recommend munching on these cookies with a big glass of ice cold milk. You'll need it!

D.I.Y. Murder Dogs

One of my favorite things ever are those hot dogs you get in Downtown L.A. that are wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions and peppers. They have to be cooked on the most ingenious makeshift grills consisting of a shopping cart, a propane tank and a cookie sheet. We call them Murder Dogs, quite simply, because they are heart attacks on a bun... but they are amazing. This past Memorial Day weekend we decided to recreate this gritty twist on the classic American dish.

Start off with the hot dog/ sausage of your choice. My husband chose Argentine chorizo, available at your local carniceria. Hebrew Nationals would do the trick just fine. Wrap in the bacon securing each end in place with a toothpick.

Lay them down on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 30-45 minutes at 375, keeping an eye on them and turning when necessary.

While the dogs are cooking away, get going on the fixins. Saute some onions and peppers. Shred some cheddar, monterey jack cheese, whatever you have on hand.

Once the dogs are ready, remove the toothpicks and snip the sausages apart, if necessary. Layer the sausage on a big bun with your condiments of choice (don't discount Mayo), then the sausage, some peppers and onions and top with cheese.

How can you resist that? And because you made it yourself, you don't have to worry about that fact that you are eating food that was prepared on a sidewalk!

Quiche-y Keen!

I have heard that the way into a man's heart is through his stomach. (Since I inherited the Sicilian cooking gene, this has never been much of a problem.) I would actually like to re-write that phrase to say: The way into a man's heart, at least my husband's, is through this quiche. I am not exaggerating.


The recipe is Paula Deen's Spinach and Bacon Quiche so you can rest easy knowing that it's fat free and zero calories :) The great thing about this recipe is that it has a good base. You can easily make a vegetarian version by leaving out the bacon and adding some lightly sauteed veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. Or instead of bacon, use some left over ham, steak or even chicken. Don't have mozzarella? Use whatever you have in the fridge. There are so many ways you can make it so get creative. If you click on the link above, there are lots of reviews and variations on the recipe's website. It's savory and fluffy, and works just as well for dinner as it would for breakfast or champagne brunch.


Here is the recipe, my personal notes are in BOLD.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled  I slice it up before popping it in the frying pan.
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese  I use Mozzarella, it's easier to find and my personal preference
• 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate
•  I also add a dash of freshly grated nutmeg, just for fun.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper and nutmeg in a food processor or blender (I use a hand immersion blender. Way easier and less clean up!) Here's the secret ingredient:

Get some whole nutmeg and give it a couple scrapes on your microplane grater into the egg/cream mixture before whipping.

Layer the spinach,

 bacon, 

and cheese 

in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. I like the top to have a little crunch to it so it should look like this:

Even Mikey likes it.

Happy Quiche-ing!