Candied Bacon Old Fashioned #SundaySupper

Do you love bacon?! The Sunday Supper tastemakers are sharing their best bacon recipes in anticipation of Bacon Lover’s Day on August 20th. This event will be hosted by Erica of The Crumby Cupcake.

All the Bacon-y Goodness...

Bacon in Appetizers

• Apple and Bacon Jam Quesadillas by Nik Snacks
• Bacon Barbecue Nachos by Where Latin Meets Lagniappe
• Game Day Bacon & Cheddar ‘Tater Skins by Powered By BLING
• Killer Jalapeño Poppers by Simply Healthy Family
• Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp by Food Lust People Love

Bacon for Breakfast

• Avocado Toast with Coconut Bacon by Helpful Homemade
• Bacon Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Breakfast Bruschetta by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Candied Maple Bacon by A Mind Full Mom
• Maple Bacon Protein Pancakes by Amee’s Savory Dish

Bacon for Dessert

• Bacon Brownie Balls by Monica’s Table
• Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies by Desserts Required
• Boozy Bacon Cherry Crumble by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Bacon Crack by Brunch-n-Bites
• Flourless Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Maple Bacon Truffles by Dessert Geek
• Spiced Apple Bacon Upside Down Cake by The Crumby Cupcake

Bacon for Dinner

• Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Bacon Corn Chowder by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Bacon Fried Rice by Asian In America
• Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatloaf by April Golightly
• Creamy Blue Cheese Pasta with Steak and Bacon by Magnolia Days
• K.C.’s Award Winning Turkey Bacon Explosion by Cooking With Carlee
• Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice by kimchi MOM
• Spaghetti alla Carbonara by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• The Pigskin Loaded Baked Potato by Sunday Supper Movement
• Triple Bypass Burgers by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Bacon in Beverages

• Candied Bacon Old Fashioned by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Homemade Bloody Mary with Candied Bacon Swizzle by Our Good Life
• Pancetta with Balsamic-Brown Sugar-Pepper Glaze for Bloody Mary by La Bella Vita Cucina

Bacon for Lunch

• Bacon, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Quiche by Caroline’s Cooking
• BLT Bread Salad by The Chef Next Door
• Grilled Manwich Club by Momma’s Meals
• Restaurant Style Double Bacon BLT by The Freshman Cook
• Turkey & Bacon Sliders with ‘Isn’t That Special’ Sauce by Bottom Left of the Mitten

Bacon as a Side Dish

• Bacon and Cheddar Smashed Red Potatoes by Family Around The Table
• Bourbon Bacon Jam by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Bacon, Beer & Jalapeno Muffins by Wholistic Woman
• Easy Bacon, Beans & Greens by My Life Cookbook
• Greens with Gruyere and Bacon by Cooking Chat
• Peas with Bacon and Crispy Onions by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Candied Bacon Old Fashioned

My Offering...
I had initially thought about making a bacon bloody mary, but two other tastemakers have that covered. Don't miss the recipes from Our Good Life and La Bella Vita Cucina. Cheers! But I decided to go a different route. Besides, I have shared a bloody mary garnished with a tiny burger before.

So, I wanted to create a bacon-y riff on another favorite cocktail: an old fashioned. And I wanted an excuse to break into a bottle of ocean-aged bourbon I've been hoarding for months. Yep, it's as crazy as it sounds - ocean-aged booze. I first discovered it when I interviewed a chef in King City who was just opening his restaurant. I wanted to balk and say that it had to be a marketing gimmick. But, I can't. 

This bourbon is aged for six to eight years before it's put into barrels and loaded onto a container ship. For six months, the bourbon circumnavigates the globe, stopping in over thirty ports, and crossing the equator four times. The idea is that the constant movement of the bourbon, as it sloshes around, ages it faster because more of the liquid is in contact with the wood more often. Interesting, right?

If you like bourbon, track down a bottle. It's seriously tasty with strongly defined bourbon notes blended with unique, briny characteristics. And while it is pricey, a percentage of each bottle goes towards ocean research. That's a worthy cause in my mind!

Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 lb Applewood Smoked Bacon (must be thick-cut)
• 1 C organic brown sugar
• 1 t ground sweet Calabrian chile
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• pinch of fleur de sel

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top of that. In a small mixing bowl, blend all of the dry ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

Place the bacon on top of the wire rack. Spoon 1 T of the sugar mixture over each piece of bacon and spread evenly over the surface. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and, gently, spread the caramel that has formed over the bacon. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Using tongs, carefully flip the bacon over and spoon 1 T of the sugar mixture on the second side. Spread it evenly over the surface. Bake for 5 minutes.

When the bacon is crisped and the glaze is caramelized, it's done. Remove to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely.

Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 t organic brown sugar
• 3 dashes bitters (I used a homemade bitters)
• ice for shaking and serving
• sparkling water, if desired
• lemon peel for garnish
• candied bacon for garnish

Procedure

Combine whiskey, brown sugar, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Stir to dissolve sugar. Top with ice and shake. Strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and candied bacon.

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