Ingredients
- 8 oz Pepper Bacon
- 4 Tbsp room-temperature butter
- ¾ C packed light brown sugar
- ¾ C granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ C molasses
- 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ C all purpose flour
- ½ C turbinadosugar
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp coarse ground black pepper
Directions
“Cut the bacon in half longwaysand then cut into very thin slices –¼” or less. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on towels and reserve the rendered fat. Put the fat into the fridge to cool. You should have about ¼ C and 2 Tbsp.
Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Mix in cooled bacon fat (it does not have to be solid –just cooled. Add egg, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and salt and mix until fully combined. Add baking soda, flour and crispy bacon pieces and mix on low until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Mix turbinadosugar, salt and pepper. Portion into small balls the size of a cherry. Roll the balls into the turbinadosugar mixture, flatten and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Tops will be cracked. Tap the pan when you take it out to get the cookie to deflate. Cookie can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days –if they last that long! Makes about 60 small cookies. These cookies are really rich, so I think the small size is perfect.”
Originally inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, I have made some changes that I think make it even better. How can you go wrong with a cookie that has bacon and bacon fat in it?
Pepper bacon is available in the grocery store –it is smoked with a very thick layer of coarse ground black pepper on it. It gives a great smoky pepper flavor to anything that it goes into.