My kitchen smells like bacon and chocolate....intrigued?

You won’t believe what I made today.  Make sure you’re sitting down.  I'm not kidding.  SIT!  Okay, thank you. (For those of you still standing, don't come back and yell at me after you fall over and conk your head.  I warned you.)

Three words.  Bacon.  Bourbon.  Chocolate.  All in one dish.  Seriously.  Thank you Food and Wine Magazine!  Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans.  Boy, is that fun to say, or what?!  Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans.  Mmmm…..what more could a girl ask for?  (Okay, the nerd in me wishes pecans were instead named something that started with the letter “b” – alliteration is so much fun!)

This recipe is from the August 2011 issue of the magazine.  Yep, I’ve had this magazine for maybe 4 days and I’m already making recipes out of it!  It is seriously packed with delicious sounding grub, this recipe topping the list!  AND, you know how we LOVE bacon so it HAD to be done!  After all, everything’s better with bacon.

            Sidebar – there’s an Amish Farmer’s market in Maryland that has some really awesome stuff including chocolate-covered bacon.  All my Maryland friends – you know who you are – go there and try it if you have not already.  It is YUMMY! Trust me.

The best thing about these brownies – except for the bacon and bourbon, of course, is that they are from scratch.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  There are some seriously awesome brownie mixes available in your local grocery store – hello Ghirardelli! – but brownies from scratch are just so amazing.  They tend to be rich, dense and decadent.  Basically, they’re everything a brownie SHOULD be!  And these definitely meet that criteria.  The bacon adds a saltiness that contrasts the chocolate and the pecans add a crunch that compliments the smooth density of the brownie itself.  Really, this is HEAVEN in a bite!  Okay, more than one bite and I’ve definitely had more than one brownie so far.  Don’t judge me.

Normally we use turkey bacon in this house but for these brownies, I wanted the good, salty stuff so I bought some applewood smoked bacon.  YUM!  Plus, you have to reserve nearly ¼ cup of bacon grease to add to the recipe and turkey bacon just doesn’t produce that.  No, don’t be grossed out – it really adds to the richness of the brownie.  And no, this is NOT low-fat.  It’s a brownie, for goodness sakes! J 

Let’s talk about the bourbon.  If you like to lick the beaters, you will definitely taste the bourbon in the mix.  Mmmmm….just enough to add to the flavor but not enough to make you tipsy.  I used Bulleit – a delicious frontier bourbon whiskey in an old-school glass bottle recommended to us by my brother-in-law – thanks Monte!  Hope you’re not mad I used two shots for other than drinking!  Um, and no, don’t ask me why it’s a “bourbon whiskey”.  I used to think they were two different things but, apparently not.  And, while we’re on that subject, why the heck is scotch a “scotch whiskey?”  Seriously, could alcohol BE any more confusing?!  Oh wait….don’t answer that.  You, of course, can use the bourbon (whiskey) of your choice.  

The bottom line is... bacon, bourbon and chocolate are a divine combination that EVERYONE – especially chocoholics – should try.  Recipe’s down there.  You’re welcome. J

Happy drinking (bourbon), cooking and eating!

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans

½ cup pecans

½ pound sliced bacon

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1.  Preheat the oven to 350̊.  Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on 2 opposite sides.  Spray the paper with vegetable spray.  Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes.  Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.

2.  In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and let cool; reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat.  Finely chop the bacon.

3.  In a saucepan, combine both chocolates with the butter and stir over very low heat, until melted; scrape into a large bowl.  Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in both sugars with the reserved 3 tablespoons bacon fat.  Beat in the bourbon.  Add the eggs and salt and beat until smooth.  Sift the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl and beat until blended.

4.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the bacon and pecans on top.  Bake for about 50 minutes, until the brownies are set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center; a toothpick inserted into the center should have some batter clinging to it.  Transfer the pan to a rack and let the brownies cool completely.  Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper.  Cut into squares or rectangles, serve and do a happy dance.