Vanilla Bourbon Bacon Lollipops Recipes

HONEY-BOURBON GLAZED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the honey and bourbon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Lay the bacon on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Brush with some of the honey-bourbon syrup. Continue roasting until deeply caramelized and crispy, another 10 to 15 minutes--the bacon will really crisp as it cools. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and serve.

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.

OUR BOURBON CANDIED BACON BITES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. Then set a wire baking rack on each sheet.
• Mix the brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Cut the bacon into squares and toss it in the bourbon mixture. Mix well to coat.
• Place the bacon squares on the wire racks. Brush additional bourbon mixture over the bacon, saving the rest for later. Bake for 40-60 minutes, until the bacon is brick-red and crisp. Brush the bacon with the remaining bourbon glaze halfway through baking. (Cooking time depends on the thickness of your bacon.)
• The bacon will still be a little flexible while it's hot, but should quickly cool into dry pieces that are crisp on both sides. You can take a piece out of the oven and cool it to test for doneness. Cool the bacon to room temperature, then serve or package for gifts! (Crisp dry Pig Candy can sit out at room temperature for up to 3 days. But feel free to keep it in the refrigerator, just to be safe.)