Chocolate-Bacon-Beer Muffins

Yep, you read that right. I can't take credit for this recipe in any way, but I loved it so much that I have to share the experience.

The original recipe can be found here: http://thebeeroness.com/2012/01/24/chocolate-bacon-porter-muffins/ . The only thing I changed was that I used a bock beer instead of a smoked porter, on recommendation of the beer expert at my local grocery store. I couldn't find a smoked beer anywhere in early August, so he recommended this as a comparable beer:

Bonus: I got to drink the leftovers.

I used a good thick-cut smoked bacon to and a little extra smoked paprika to add the smoked flavor that was missing from the beer. My whole apartment smelled amazing while these were baking. I doubled the recipe and yielded 16 delicious muffins. I thought these muffins still hot from the oven could possibly be the most delicious thing I've ever created.

 My boyfriend, however, thought they were "gross." I was shocked. These muffins should be the key to any man's heart. I mean chocolate, bacon, and beer? Come on. How could this be anything but delicious?

After much discussion and taste-testing by other friends, we came to some conclusions about this recipe:

1. It needs more bacon. Not just sprinkled on top, but mixed throughout the batter.
2. If you like dark chocolate, you will love this recipe. If you are more of a milk chocolate fan, you will hate it.
3. I have to learn how to make chocolate-covered bacon.

I will definitely be making this recipe again, only next time I won't double it (since apparently I'm the only one in my home who will eat it) and will add more bacon. I'm looking forward to finding a smoky porter this fall and trying it again.

References:
http://thebeeroness.com/2012/01/24/chocolate-bacon-porter-muffins/

Bacon Cream Cheese Puffs

This is a recipe I have been working on for a while. It is a party favorite whenever I make it, and I'm pretty sure it has become one of my boyfriend's favorite foods. I have tried this recipe with biscuit dough and crescent roll sheets, but biscuit dough seems to taste best. The cream cheese filling also makes a great cheese spread to eat with crackers.

Ingredients

2 packages buttermilk biscuits (8 per can)
1/2 to 1 package bacon
8 oz cream cheese
½ cup diced green onions
½ t black pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 egg white
1 T water

Cook the bacon first. I find it fastest to cook the bacon in the oven because you can cook large amounts at once.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie tray with aluminum foil and arrange the bacon side-by-side to fill the pan. I can usually fit about 2/3 of a package of bacon on one cookie tray, and if I’m feeling lazy or in a hurry that’s all I use for this recipe. More bacon is always better though.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip the bacon with tongs, then replace and bake for 5-10 minutes more until bacon is crispy. Allow to cool before dicing into small pieces (like bacon bits).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, bacon, green onions, garlic and pepper in a bowl and mix well with a spoon or spatula. For best results, chill in the refrigerator until firm before filling the biscuits. I usually make the cream cheese filling the night before a party to save time.

It's really hard not to just give up and eat this with a spoon.

To make the egg wash, combine one egg white and one tablespoon water in a bowl and beat with a fork until foamy. Line a baking tray with with parchment paper, or aluminum foil coated with non-stick spray. Cut each biscuit in half so you have 16 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Smash a ball of dough in your hand so you have a disc, and place about half a tablespoon of filling in the center.

Brush a generous layer of egg wash around the edges, and press the edges together so you have a half-moon shaped pie. It is okay if the egg wash spills over onto the cream cheese. Don't skimp on the egg wash or the edges won't seal and you will have an oozy mess (see picture below). Arrange on baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until brown on top.

Not enough egg wash - they all exploded! Still tasted great though.

Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, as the cream cheese filling is like molten lava when it first comes out of the oven.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

I ate the most amazing sandwich the other night at one of my favorite restaurants, Melt. Melt has three locations around the Cleveland area, and everything on the menu is amazing. This month they are bringing back the best sandwiches of 2011 for one week each.

This week is the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Melt, which is the ultimate BLT. The sandwich includes "hickory smoked bacon, applewood smoked bacon, black-pepper crusted slab bacon, and sweet candied bacon," all topped with a bacon cream cheese, bacon-infused mayonnaise (made at the restaurant), cheddar, romaine lettuce, and tomato." 

I think the candied bacon really makes the sandwich, giving the sandwich that wonderful taste of when you accidentally get maple syrup on your bacon at breakfast. I absolutely loved this sandwich, and ended up eating the whole thing instead of boxing half up for later like I usually do. The explosion of flavors was totally worth the stomachache I had later from overeating.


The sandwich is, as usual, served with a side of awesome fries and some not-as-awesome spicy cole slaw, which I always forget to cancel so it doesn't go to waste. Also, the specialty sandwiches tend be paired with a special cocktail, so of course I had to try the Kevin Bacon Vanilla Alexander. The drink is described as "Bulleit bourbon infused with bacon, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, cream and real vanilla, shaken with ice and topped with real whipped cream and crisp bacon bits."

The drink was... interesting, to say the least. It tasted good at first, but the bourbon aftertaste didn't seem to fit with the other flavors. It tasted like Bailey's Irish Cream mixed with whiskey and bacon. I found it tasted better when I abandoned the straws and drank straight from the glass, getting bacon bits in every sip. I'm not sure I would ever order this drink again, but I have to give props to Melt for actually creating a drinkable bacon-flavored cocktail. I have attempted this feat in the past, and it ended VERY poorly.


The meal was altogether a success, topped with the end-of-meal revelation that there is a Melt rewards program! I signed up for the card, which will earn me $20 of free Melt for every $250 I spend. I was SO excited to learn about this program. Not that I needed another excuse to go to Melt.


References:
http://meltbarandgrilled.com/