Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is nothing better than a chocolate chip cookie, and everyone always thinks they make the best one.  At The Chopping Block, we had so many employees sure that they made the best chocolate chip cookie that we had to settle the debate with a friendly competition.

We had 11 participants, and while the only stipulation was that the cookie have chocolate chips, most of our employees were purists and didn’t add anything crazy. We had an awesome variety that ranged from vegan to gluten free to sourdough-based to double chocolate. Ultimately, Chef Matt Woolf won, but that’s probably because I didn’t think of adding candied bacon to my cookie until after (just kidding, Matt!).

We recently started showcasing our TCB Sugar Plum and Spice Rub by sprinkling it on bacon, and baking it, which creates the most delicious candied bacon you’ve ever had. If the bacon survives in your kitchen long enough, you could add it to salad, pizza, or…. chocolate chip cookies! These cookies are the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and they’ll be gone quickly, so make a double-batch. You can even scoop the dough and freeze it so that it’s ready to bake whenever the mood moves you. And if you're making cookies for Santa tonight, he's really going to love these! 

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

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1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

2 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon TCB fine salt

2 cups Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chips

16 slices of bacon

TCB Sugar Plum and Spice Rub

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with a Silpat, or parchment paper, and lay out 8 slices of bacon on each pan.

3. Sprinkle raw bacon with TCB Sugar Plum and Spice Rub, and be generous!

4. Bake at 375 for 10-15 min, until cooked (be careful not to take the bacon too far as it will cook again on top of the cookie).

5. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat from cooked bacon.

6. Set bacon aside to cool.

7. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

8. Add vanilla bean paste, and eggs, and mix to combine.

9. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

10. Add the dry ingredients, in two batches, to the wet ingredients and mix with hand mixer until combined.

11. Finely chop 8 slices of the candied bacon.

12. Cut remaining the 8 slices of candied bacon into 1 inch pieces.

13. Mix in chocolate chips, finely chopped bacon, and 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat.

14. Scoop cookies onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.

15. Top each cookie with a 1-inch piece of candied bacon.

16. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until light brown.

These cookies are sure to be a hit. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m pretty certain that they would make for an incredible ice cream sandwich base too!

Visit our retail store for any of your baking needs and if you’re getting ready to hibernate for the winter and want to expand your baking repertoire, check out some of our amazing baking classes at The Chopping Block! We’ve got:

• Teens Festive Winter Baking Lincoln Square 12/26
• How to Bake Bread Merchandise Mart 1/7
• Donut Boot Camp Lincoln Square 2/2
• Artisanal Breads Boot Camp Lincoln Square 2/22 
• Pie and Tart Boot Camp Merchandise Mart 2/23
• Cupcake Boot Camp Merchandise Mart 2/15
• Chocolate Boot Camp Merchandise Mart 2/8
• Gluten Free Breads Boot Camp Merchandise Mart 2/1

If decorating is more your interest, we have a brand-new Cake Decorating Workshop at the Merchandise Mart on Sunday, January 12 and Sunday, January 19.

Need more ideas for cookies to make for Santa tonight? Download our 12 Days of Holiday Cookies. 

Author: Kate Schrager

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Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon TCB fine salt
• 2 cups Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chips
• 16 slices of bacon
• TCB Sugar Plum and Spice Rub

instructions:

How to cook Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with a Silpat, or parchment paper, and lay out 8 slices of bacon on each pan.
3. Sprinkle raw bacon with TCB Sugar Plum and Spice Rub, and be generous!
4. Bake at 375 for 10-15 min, until cooked (be careful not to take the bacon too far as it will cook again on top of the cookie).
5. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat from cooked bacon.
6. Set bacon aside to cool.
7. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
8. Add vanilla bean paste, and eggs, and mix to combine.
9. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
10. Add the dry ingredients, in two batches, to the wet ingredients and mix with hand mixer until combined.
11. Finely chop 8 slices of the candied bacon.
12. Cut remaining the 8 slices of candied bacon into 1 inch pieces.
13. Mix in chocolate chips, finely chopped bacon, and 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat.
14. Scoop cookies onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
15. Top each cookie with a 1-inch piece of candied bacon.
16. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until light brown.

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