Bourbon Pops Recipes

HONEY BOURBON CHICKEN POPS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or smoker to 375 degrees F. (If using wood, I love cherry or apple wood.)
• Lop off about 1/4 inch from the top of a drumstick, and from the tip of the handle of the drumstick, using dry hands and a dry knife. (This way, you can stand them up straight, and it makes pulling the meat up easier.) About an inch up from end of the handle, where the bulb meets the handle, make a sharp cut that goes all the way around the handle (a 360-degree cut), making sure to cut through the skin, muscle and tendons. Push the meat up to the more bulbous end of the leg and remove the little bit of meat on the handle end. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks.
• Place the rub in a small sheet pan or flat dish and roll each drumstick in the rub. Place the drumsticks directly on the grill and cook, rotating a couple times throughout, until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Dunk each drumstick into the Glaze and stand up on the grill until the sauce is caramelized and set, another 10 to 12 minutes.
• Combine in the bourbon, ketchup, vinegar, honey, mustard and brown sugar in a small saucepot and simmer for 10 minutes.

BACON LOLLIPOPS

Steps:

• Soak about 28 bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
• Combine the sugar, maple syrup and cayenne in a medium bowl; stir in the water.
• Cut the bacon strips across in half. One at a time, dunk the pieces of bacon in the sugar mixture, wipe off the excess with your fingers, and place the pieces flat on the baking sheet. When the bacon has formed one layer on the pan, thread a skewer through each slice, keeping the slices flat and leaving some of the skewer sticking out at the bottom as a handle.
• Top the skewered bacon with a second piece of parchment paper and place an empty baking sheet on top. This keeps the bacon weighted down so it stays nice and flat. (The sheet pan goes directly over the parchment-topped bacon.) Bake until the bacon is cooked through and dark brown around the edges, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking pan to cool.
• Once cooled, you can store the bacon lollipops for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator; place them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.