My dad just informed me that it's national bacon day, so I figured I re-post an old favorite that I make EVERY time I have people over. It's just one of those slam dunk dishes that everyone loves. Pig Candy.
Really, what could possibly be better than candy made of pig? Bacon to be precise. Smokey, salty, spicy, sweet: yes please! And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make. In 30 minutes you’ll have a bowl of kitsch bar snacks that are just as delicious with a rich red wine as with a spicy ale or sweet and smokey stout. The possibilities are endless and so is my appetite for these little pieces of heaven. In the words of the ad man, bet you can’t have just one.
Ingredients:
For 4
8 strips thin cut bacon (hickory smoked bacon was a wonderful maple flavor already within it)
1 cup golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Turn the oven on to 350 F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it’s too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan lined with aluminum foil (these means minimal clean up!). Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has curls at the edges and appears mostly cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 4-6 minutes, or until the bacon appears fully cooked, like crunchy, but not burnt. If the bacon seems underdone, just leave in the oven for a minute or two more.
Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl. Serve it up with the libation of your choice and enjoy!
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18 comments:
I've made candied bacon before (for cookies though I ate a lot of it before any got in the batter!) but never thought of just serving it to people as an appetizer. Umm my friends would die of happiness.
That's a great idea and some superb pictures.
I love this. I make it every time I have a brunch. So so so good.
We love this. Nice pictures and name. I started making at the deli I worked at. We used it to make B.L.T. sandwiches. But we make it alot for apps and brunch. So good inside a pepperjack profiterole. Also, I used coarse cracked pepper for more texture.
I love the name! I call mine bacon candy. I use coarse cracked pepper for texture. Great pics, too. We use this for B.L.T.'s.
this looks delicious! how would you store it/how long does it keep?
Hey Kitchy Kitchen!
I just made this Pig Candy today. I saw your recipe on Tastespotting and thought it looked easy enough. It was fun to make and turned out lovely! I'm giving it as a gift so I'm hoping the recipient loves it.
Check out my blog to see the results. My photos aren't as fantastic as yours but bacon itself was really fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.
This is such a great idea-- I'm hosting a friend's bridal shower in a month and have been looking for great h'ors d'oeuvres and finger foods. This looks like a win!
Hi Shella, That BLT sounds amazing! Yum :)
Hey anonymous, If you're serving it later that day just cover it with plastic wrap and leave it at room temp. For the day before, refrigerate it and let it come to room temp an hour before serving. Hope this helps!
Hi Heidi, Thanks for trying it! I hope your friend enjoys the gift. I'll definitely check out your blog! xoxo
Claire
Hey Leanne, It is the best hors deuvres! I serve it in little mini cupcake wrappers for easy grabbing and clean hands. Hope you have a great time at the shower!
National Bacon Day??? When exactly is that??? I need to mark my calendar to call for a celebration!
Saw you today on TV- Loved it! I'm definitely making this for bunko next week...with nitrate free bacon of course:)
Omg this sounds amazing, im trying it tomorrow morning!
Going to try this today! Everyday is bacon day at our house!
I just made this for my son's 1st birthday (little man) party and it was a hit! Thanks so much! We LOVED it!
I made this last night and it was awesome. Only changes I might suggest is that you could probably cut back to 3/4 a cup of brown sugar for 8 pieces. I have extra left over. And the cooking time might need to be a little longer to get the crispy taste but it is awesome.
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