Maple bacon cookies

Maple bacon cookies are something I stumbled upon through a very fortunate accident. I was scrolling down my Instagram feed when I was turned onto a delectable picture of the cookie in question from the Toronto restaurant Bannock. While this recipe isn’t the same that the fine-dining Oliver and Bonacini chain uses, these cookies will have you praising our finest Canadian ingredients: maple and bacon.

While it may seem odd to have bacon in a cookie recipe, the brown sugar coating offsets the saltiness of the bacon and pairs well with the maple. Brown sugar and butter will also ensure this is a soft and chewy cookie.

I like to think of maple and bacon as the underappreciated stepsisters of poutine; I don’t find myself indulging in the former two as much as the latter – but this recipe has just changed that.

Serving: 36 cookies (approximately)

Ingredients:
¾ cup of butter, softened
1 ¾ and ¼ cup of brown sugar
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
2 eggs
2 ½ tablespoons of maple syrup (Note: For a strong flavour, substitute maple syrup for 2 teaspoons of maple extract)
2 ½ cup of all purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¾ cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 thick slices of bacon, cooked

Instructions:

1. Prepare the bacon. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius. Lace four pieces of bacon on a tray covered with aluminum foil. Sprinkle ¼ cup of brown sugar on the bacon. Place tray of bacon in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Start to keep an eye to prevent them from browning too much. Remove aluminum foil from pan to allow bacon to cool faster. Once bacon has completely cooled, cut them into small squares. Set aside for cookie dough.
   
2. Using a mixer, combine brown sugar and butter. Add salt, eggs and maple syrup. Slowly add in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Ensure ingredients are combined thoroughly.
   
3. Add chocolate chips and bacon. Fold gently and ensure an even distribution.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Celsius. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into large tablespoons (or however you prefer) and place an inch and a half a part from each other.
5. Place in oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool. Note: Cooling is essential as cookies may become misshapen or break.

Sweet and salty is always a winning combination, and there’s no better time to try this dynamic duo than with a baking study break. This recipe will yield a big enough batch for plenty of sharing.

Remember to store the rest of the cookies in an airtight container. They’ll last for about five days. Alternately, try freezing a portion of the dough, if you don’t want to indulge in too many cookies.

This recipe is adapted from shugarysweets.com