Maple Balsamic Candied Bacon

So as it turns out, wedding planning has a way of taking over your life.  I have done more advanced planning than I thought possible, but here I am going nuts with last minute details 4 days before the wedding!

 

I must apologize for the scattered posts lately, and I do promise to get back to blogging (and also plan to do less complaining about my healthy diet) later next week when I'm officially wifed-up and it will be time to relax!  BUT..before I go, I want to leave you with this gem of a recipe.  

You may remember me writing about the candied bacon pops I had at the Olive Cafe during restaurant week?  Well, I was determined to make them at home and I must say - I came pretty close!  I do realize, in retrospect, why they skewer the bacon, which I did not do.  It is incredibly sticky and you will be a mess if you eat it sans stick- but it's so worth it! 

For this project, I purchased a small bottle of Taste the Olive's Maple Balsamic Vinegar.  It adds that subtle maple flavor that goes so well with bacon, but if you don't want to invest in a bottle (it's about $12), you could always whisk a bit of maple syrup in plain balsamic for a similar effect.

 

I find that the absolute best way to cook bacon is in the oven.  I always start with a cold oven, turn it on 400 degrees, then walk away. 17-20 minutes later (watch closely) you will have crispy, mess-free bacon. 

This candied bacon is perfect on its own, but also made a great pizza topping with caramelized onions and bleu cheese.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

*8 strips thick cut bacon

*1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed

*1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

*2 tbsp. maple balsamic vinegar

Combine brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a shallow dish.  Lightly dredge the bacon in the sugar mixture and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Brush on a light coating of balsamic onto the bacon.  Transfer the bacon to a cold oven and turn the temperature to 400.  After 17 minutes, remove the bacon, use a fork to flip it, paint a bit more balsamic on, and return it to the oven for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve warm. 

Happy cooking and I'll get back to it when I'm MARRIED! eek!