There was a bacon oatmeal raisin cookie recipe published in the March 2012 issue of Bon Appétit. I was quite excited about it in March, and I was still excited when I finally made them this week (with whiskey-soaked dried apple pieces in place of the raisins).
Of course, what I didn't expect when I made them was that the recipe was going to need "some" tweaking and further distract me. Unfortunately, the recipe as written in the magazine didn't quite work out for me: instead of chewy cookies, I got hard, crispy cookie pucks. Fixing the texture of these cookies became a challenge and a little experiment.
The original Bon Appétit recipe had 58 grams (¼ cup) of butter and 1 egg. I tested two modifications to the published recipe:
- I tried doubling the butter in the recipe, which yielded cookies that had crispy edges and a chewy centre.
- I also did a batch where I doubled the butter and added an extra egg, which led to softer cake-y cookies.
If you are a big fan of thick chewy cookies and brownies, these cookies are for you, an apple and bacon spin on the classic oatmeal cookie. But if you find your cookies are falling flat, spreading too much, or if the texture is off, you should definitely read more about the ins and outs of making the best chocolate chip cookies.
Bacon whiskey apple cookies
Ingredients
- 30 grams (⅓ cup) dried apple, chopped into 0.5 cm (0.2 in) pieces
- 45 mL (3 tablespoon) whiskey, I used Jack Daniel’s
- 120 grams (⅓ lb) bacon, chopped into 0.5 cm (0.2 in) pieces
- 146 grams (1⅛ cups) cake flour
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) baking powder
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 1,25 mL (¼ teaspoon) baking soda
- 100 grams (½ cup) dark brown sugar
- 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 115 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg(s)
- 1.25 mL (¼ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 45 grams (½ cup) rolled oats (or large flake oats)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the apple slices and the whiskey. Set the saucepan over low heat until the whiskey is steamy. Pull the saucepan off the hit, put the lid over it and let the mixture sit til all the whiskey is absorbed. Drop them on a paper towel to remove any excess liquid just before using them.
- Meanwhile in a small frying pan, cook the bacon over medium-low until it is deep golden brown and crisp. Transfer the crispy bacon bits with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Save the leftover bacon fat in a jar in the fridge for future use (in a pie crust, cookies, or even Yorkshire pudding).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the two sugars for 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and beat until it is incorporated, then add the vanilla and mix again.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, then add the oats and mix until just combined.
- Drop the whiskey-soaked apple pieces and the bacon bits to the mixer bowl. Beat for just a few seconds more to mix these in.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough over night.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets by lining them with parchment.
- Scoop the cookies with a large cookie scoop (or a ¼ cup measure), spacing them a couple inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake them for about 17 or so minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Let cool slightly before transferring the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These cookies are best enjoyed the day they are baked but can be stored in a plastic container for several days.
Notes
- For chewy cookies, use 1 large egg in this recipe, as written
- For cake-y, softer cookies, use 2 large eggs in this recipe
Nutrition
If you are a fan of oatmeal cookies, you should also try these thick chewy oatmeal cookies with milk chocolate and peanuts or for another fruity cookie, try these blueberry oatmeal cookies with white chocolate.
Medeja says
As long as you are doing what you really love it's great! It will take some time to catch up but then you will get used 🙂
How great that you have given that information how to modify recipe accoring to your preference! I love it !
[email protected] says
i want these. mmmhmmm!