Whiskey-Bacon Cookies with Pecans and Maple Sugar
I know. I’m sorry. I don’t usually go in for this kind of shenanigans. Ok, well maybe I do. But I really do try to steer clear of such over-the-top silliness (like peanut butter cup bacon whipped cream brownie bars, etc.) Compared to some of the wacky stuff I’ve seen on Pinterest, this is nothing. Besides… it’s St. Patrick’s Day soon and any good Irishwoman knows that a little bit of shenanigans is completely called for.
And I promise, as out-there as these sound, they are actually kind of understated. You think I’m lying, I can tell, but they really are. Yes, the fact that there are crispy, chewy bits of bacon running throughout these little cookies is unmistakable. But it doesn’t clobber you over the head. The bacon bits are in direct proportion to plenty of big chunks of pecans and a sprinkle of maple sugar on the top that balances out the saltiness.
Yes. There is whiskey in these cookies. But only a wee little bit, and you only get a hint of it. It mostly just infuses a warmth to these little bits of heaven that is unbeatable, similar to vanilla. Why haven’t I been adding whiskey to all my cookies? It rocks. And whiskey cookies are just about the most fun way to top off a St. Pat’s celebration that I can think of. “Are bacon and maple and pecans an Irish thing, too?” you ask.
No. Hush. Here, have a cookie and you won’t care anymore.
Whiskey-Bacon Cookies with Pecans and Maple Sugar
March 13, 2014
Category
Cookies and Candy
Dessert
inspired by this recipe
A note about bacon: Try to find an uncured bacon, that doesn't contain nitrates or nitrates (icky things). Trader Joe's sells some that really delicious and has great flavor. Bacon's kind of the star here, so you want it to be good!
Also, if it's possible, these cookies are better the next day. The flavors meld and intensify and they stay perfectly nice and chewy on the inside, crispy around the edges if you keep them in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups pecans, very roughly chopped
- 8 oz bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy and lightened in color. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the whiskey and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just incorporated. Then add the bacon pieces and pecans and mix again, until just combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto two sheet pans (either lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat) and sprinkle a generous amount of maple sugar on top of each mound of dough. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cookies cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Eat immediately (duh) or store in an airtight container for several days (or as long as they last!)
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Whiskey-Bacon Cookies with Pecans and Maple Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups pecans, very roughly chopped
- 8 oz bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy and lightened in color. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the whiskey and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just incorporated. Then add the bacon pieces and pecans and mix again, until just combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto two sheet pans (either lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat) and sprinkle a generous amount of maple sugar on top of each mound of dough. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cookies cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Eat immediately (duh) or store in an airtight container for several days (or as long as they last!)