Bacon Cookies

When my friend asked me to bring some finger foods to her housewarming, I wanted to bring something completely different. If anything, that's all I accomplished with these bacon cookies. I was so disappointed with this recipe! They honestly looked, tasted, and felt like dog treats for humans. So much that I called them human treats all night long. I'd like to hone my skills to the point that I'll know exactly what a recipe will turn out like, in terms of taste and texture. Well I started this blog to learn and grow as a baker, so every recipe, triumph or failure, will get me one step closer to that point.

I do have to mention that my old college roommate Mel was also at the housewarming and brought these wonderfully different roasted garlic cupcakes inspired by an Iron Chef episode featuring a garlic crème brûlée. She called it her "mystery cupcake" and made people guess what the main ingredient was. With a few.. okay a lot of hints, I guessed right. I knew it was something that had a kick to it, so the guess that got me closest was ginger. She's got a lot of talent, so check out her blog to see what else she makes.

Bacon Cookies aka Human Treats
adapted from The Bacon Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp; drain on paper towels, reserving the fat.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, the whole egg, cream, and pepper; beat with an electric mixer until the dough is well blended. 3. Transfer to a floured surface, add the bacon and cheese, and knead until dough is soft and bacon evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
4. Roll out dough into one or two logs about 1 1/2 inches thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet with a little of the bacon fat, and set aside.
6. On a work surface, cut the log into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg yolk, and bake until the cookies are browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.