Food for thought from the Chef

There are 360,000 more barrels of aging bourbon in the state of Kentucky than there are residents.  How crazy is that?

That’s over a quarter of a million more barrels of bourbon than people.  Where are they housing all of that?  Who is drinking all of it?  I just want to take a moment to be proud that American Whiskey, or bourbon, is thriving because, without it, these cookies wouldn’t be here.   And I’m not even sure bourbon is their star ingredient, because… it might be bacon, or chocolate.

You don’t even need to choose which ingredient you think is the star.  Just make them.  I’m loving the fact that some of the fat comes from the bacon instead of butter and that they are chewy and soft and sweet and salty and perfect.  They’re the kind of cookies that are going to get you winks at parties.  The kind of cookies that get you noticed.  They’re the kind of cookies that are going to get you dates.  They’re repeat business cookies.

Bacon-Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 tbsp bourbon or whiskey

3/4 pound bacon, diced

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup bacon fat, chilled

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

8 oz. dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

In a large pan, or in the oven under broil, cook bacon or diced bacon pieces. Drain the pieces on a paper towel and reserve the fat, draining it into a bowl to chill in the refrigerator until it has hardened to the consistency of room temperature butter.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk together.

Beat the butter, bacon fat, sugars, bourbon, and vanilla together in the bowl of a mixer until the sugar and butter are combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.

Beat in the flour mixture about one half cup at a time

Beat in the chocolate chips and bacon bits.

Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes or until desired level of golden brown. Let cool.