I think boys are hard to bake for. Sure, most of them enjoy sweets – my boy goes gooey for a mud cake, for example. But generally speaking, if you put a batch of pink cupcakes with elegant fondant flowers in front of a male, there is no way you’re going to get the same ‘ooooh’ and ‘ahhhhhh’ reaction as you would from a female.
My case in point – some time ago now, while discussing the engagement cake I had made for the groom, I asked him how many pieces of the cake he had eaten. To my utmost horror he had only had one piece, declaring that cake and beer just don’t mix well. He had a point. It was then decided that I must develop the perfect desert/cake/cupcake/baked item to match with a beer.
Sure, there have been a few trials and close contenders. Take the Luther burger, for example. Although I’m yet to come across any of my friends who have actually attempted this monstrosity! But finally, I think I may have found it.
Behold, the peanut butter and bacon cookie.
I recently went through the delightful process of having my wisdom teeth removed. I won’t glam it up for those of you potentially in line for this surgical procedure. It sucks. The worst. Ever. Tell your dentist to shove it. No, don’t do that! I’m sure he/she wont appreciate that. But on the plus side I now have these two gaping holes in the back of my mouth where I can easily store leftover food for later consumption. Ewww gross.
Anyway, after two weeks on the lounge feeling very sorry for myself, and very anxious from a lack of baking, I decided to ease back into it with this very simple recipe. And I thought they would be a delightful treat for my little bro, my partner in crime, JayB, to say thanks for taking care of me/getting me slupees/feeding me mashed potato and gravy, while I was withering away on the lounge.
Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookie
Makes 6 to 8 large cookies
½ cup good quality crunchy peanut butter
½ cup sugar (1/4 brown sugar & ¼ granulated sugar)
½ egg
2 rashers of bacon, diced.
½ teaspoon baking powder
*Optional - ¼ cup wholemeal flour*
Preheat fan forced oven to 175 degrees C.
Slice bacon into small cubes. Fry to your liking and drain well.
Using an electric mixer combine sugar and peanut butter, then slowly add in egg and baking powder (add flour at this stage if using). Mix for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until well combined.
Stir in bacon. Roll mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Press down on ball with your thumb or fork to flatten slightly.
Bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool on tray for at least 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack or plate.
NOTE: Drain bacon VERY well on paper towel after frying. The combination of bacon and peanut butter means these cookies can become very oily when mixing. These are not typically crunchy cookies, they are more like a soft ‘subway’ cookie. If you prefer more crunch then add flour, increase amount to your liking.
If you haven’t eaten them all straight out of the oven, then I suggest storing these in the fridge if you plan to make ahead of time. Zap in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Just incase you were wondering, JayB loved the cookies. And he is a very hard man to please, he doesn't really like sweets (crazy, I know! Pretty sure he must be adopted).
...And just a little something for all of those lined up to have their wisdom teeth out anytime soon.
This photo pretty much sums up the whole experience. "F**k you world, I have a frozen sanitary pad around my balloon size face and I don't want to talk about it." Good luck to y'all!
