Oatmaiale Cookies (Not For Vegetarians...Maiale Is Pork In Italian. Think Bacon.)
Oatmaiale Cookies by Hillary on February 26, 2010 For a short period of time as a child, Mother sent me to a tennis coach. I don’t remember the lessons so much as I remember the breakfast she made me every Saturday morning—oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, chocolate chips and milk with a side of bacon (apparently she equated 60 minutes of rec tennis with running the Boston Marathon). Fast forward 30 years (and slow down my metabolism by as much), I still crave the concept of this meal but not the pasty texture that seizes into a congealed ball as oatmeal cools. When DC was socked in by a blizzard and clearly I was nostalgic for comfort food (see the fluff posting), I came up with the idea for this cookie. Granted there’s nothing “unique” about an oatmeal cookie, but an oatmeal cookie with bacon…now we’re cookin’.
Total Steps
14
Ingredients
15
Tools Needed
9
Related Article
http://bellyuptotheblog.com/blogIngredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 oz)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (1.75 oz)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened but still cool)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 oz)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2.5 cups whole grain rolled oats (not instant)
- dried cherries(optional)
- milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
To make candied bacon: Par-cook bacon to render fat, then pat off excess grease.
Step 2
Mix maple syrup with the 1/2 cup brown sugar and rub to coat the bacon (make sure it's cool enough to handle).
Step 3
Place bacon on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, dust with remaining sugar mixture, and bake in a 350 degree F pre-heated oven for 14 minutes, flipping bacon halfway through the cooking time.
Step 4
Transfer parchment off the cookie sheet and let the bacon cool until the candied bacon has set up (cool and the sugars have solidified).
Step 5
Pulse the cooled candied bacon coarsely in a food processor until it forms bite-sized bits, roughly the same size as a chip or raisin.
Step 6
Optional: Toast 2.5 cups of oats in a large dry skillet until light brown and they give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool.
Step 7
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and make sure your rack is in the middle position.
Step 8
To a stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip butter with 1 cup white granulated sugar and the 1/4 cup light brown sugar until fluffy.
Step 9
Add one egg and the vanilla extract; mix until well blended.
Step 10
To the flour, whisk in baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the beaten butter mixture (on low speed) until fully incorporated.
Step 11
Gradually add oats (whether toasted or raw), followed by the candied bacon bits and any additional mix-ins (such as dried cherries and chocolate chips), just until the ingredients are incorporated throughout the dough.
Step 12
Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Then, make a 'paddy cake' by pressing the dough ball relatively flat between your palms (about 1 centimeter or 1/4 inch thick) and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Space accordingly as cookies will spread.
Step 13
Optional: Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few flecks of Maldon or any kind of sea salt.
Step 14
Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on desired doneness.