Bacon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – Yes, Bacon and Cookies in the Same Sentence

And more importantly, bacon IN the cookies. As promised (I know I have been teasing you via Twitter and Facebook), here are the Bacon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I have been raving about. They are featured in the March 2012 issue of Bon Appetit and the recipe comes from Autumn Martin from Hot Cakes Confections. Make sure to check out the VIDEO so that you can see how they are made. I will be bringing you videos of Bon Appetit recipes that catch my eye and this one certainly did.

First of all, trite as it may be, I do believe that most things are enhanced by bacon. Certainly my life is. While I have been enjoying the trend of chocolate and bacon, the lack of chocolate is exactly what caught my eye with Autumn’s recipe. When I spoke with her she said that while chocolate and bacon were okay, she actually prefers her bacon with buttery flavors. This cookie was born from her fond memories of having breakfast for dinner as a child – specifically her Dad’s waffles embedded with bacon and slathered with butter and maple syrup. (Maybe they will adopt me).

The recipe has a few particular nuances that make it as fabulous as it is. A high proportion of dark brown sugar to granulated, to enhance “the depth of flavor and moisture”, says Autumn, as well as sweet, plump raisins that act as a counterpoint to the salty pork product. In Bon Appetit we suggest cutting the bacon into small pieces before sautéing, and this approach works fine – I did it in two batches. If you prefer to cook your bacon first and crumble later, you can place all the bacon on a sheet pan and bake in the oven. The batter is scooped as soon as it is made, then the cookies are chilled on their baking pans. I asked her why not scoop after chilling and she said this is her preferred approach as it is easier to scoop while still very soft. While this is true, if you do not have room in the refrigerator for a whole baking sheet, simply chill first, then scoop. Once on the pans, the cookies are very firm and domed. You do not need to flatten them before baking.

The oven is at a hot 375˚ F and you must watch them carefully. Some cookies get away with not rotating pans; these benefit greatly if you do. Also, you must pull them from the oven while the centers are still quite soft. Not wet, but very soft. As with most oatmeal cookies these firm up tremendously upon cooling and we are aiming for crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. 

Check out the recipe for Autumn’s Bacon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and the VIDEO of me showing you how to make them. They were a hit with my crowd; I think when I make them again I might add walnuts that I toss around in the bacon fat.