How to Make Special Memories

Hello again, I want to share a special memory with you.

Candied Bacon with Hot Chocolate

My Mother Florence Mary Hutton pictured here on the left.

 Lived in Barron Wisconsin even though she was Miss Minnesota. That is another story for another time. Well, Barron Wisconsin is in the top Northwest of Wisconsin and as you can imagine the winters were brutal. For a winter treat my Grandmother who came from Quebec, so I really don't know if this came from Quebec or where it originated, would make candied bacon and hot chocolate with marshmallows. When I was little many many years ago, I  have fond memories of my Mother making this treat for us on fowl weather nights ( maybe that is why I need to loose weight!). Why am I sharing this with you now! My son, Brian and I went to Bob Evans and they have it there for an appetizer. 

It brought back a flood of memories and now here is the recipe.

Recipe 

BROWN SUGAR CANDIED BACON RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon
• 1.5 cups brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place a rack over the top.
3. Mix the brown sugar in a large bowl
4. Dredge the bacon in the sugar mixture. Press the sugar into the bacon so that you get a nice, thick coating on both sides.
5. Lay the bacon in a single layer on your prepared pan. Try not to let the sides touch, which prevents the pieces from sticking together.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
7. Carefully flip the bacon over and sprinkle with a little extra brown sugar.
8. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the bacon is dark brown but not burnt.
9. As soon as the bacon comes out of the oven, remove it from the pan and lay in on brown paper bags to drain. It will stick to paper towels. Alternately, you could lay it on another clean rack and allow the excess grease to drain off that way.
10. The bacon will firm up quickly as the sugar cools and gets crispy.

Notes: If you remove the bacon from the oven too soon, it will be chewy and not crisp, so be sure to let it get good and brown. That said, watch it closely once you flip it. All ovens are different and yours might not take as long.

I’ve found the best way to clean the rack is to soak it in boiling water. I actually start a pot when I put the last batch of bacon in, so clean up is quick and easy while the bacon cools.

Yields about 8 thick slices.

Just add Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows of your choose.

I know that this is high in fat and calories but boy is this fantastic.

I can see this as an appetizer served with cream cheese and strawberry yogurt. How about pistachio pudding?