Bacon & Cashew Caramel Corn

Tired of those old boring snacks that you buy at the store? Love caramel corn? Love cashews?? Love bacon??? BACON??? Why not! The whole "salty-sweet" snack thing is really hot right now and bacon is not just for breakfast anymore!
Bacon is even finding its way onto dessert menus in some of the top restaurants in the country! I even made a delicious Smoky Bacon & Ginger Cookie a while back that was a hit!

This version of the popular caramel corn is tasty, very addictive and so simple to make, you can whip up a batch to enjoy with your favorite movie tonight!!

All you need to make 15 cups (enough for a party even!) are the following ingredients:

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 Tbls. vegetable oil
6 oz bacon, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews (about a 2.5 oz package)
1 teas. coarse salt
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Oolong Tea Bag (your local Chinese take out place usually sells these!)
Nonstick Cooking Spray
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbls. light corn syrup

Preheat your oven to 300°. Pop popcorn in oil and place in a large bowl, set aside. Cook the bacon in a large, heavy skillet, over medium heat until almost crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain; cool.

Add the bacon and cashews to the bowl of popcorn. Sprinkle with the salt and cayenne pepper; toss to coat.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and tea bag to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; let steep for 15 minutes, occasionally pressing on the tea bag with the back of a spoon to release flavor. Discard tea bag.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Coat 2 wooden spoons or heat-resistant rubber spatulas with cooking spray and set aside.

Stir sugar, 1/4 cup of water, and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil, without stirring, until syrup turns a deep amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, about 13 minutes.
Remove from heat and immediately add the cream & tea mixure, BE VERY CARFUL as this mixure will bubble up quickly. Stir until blended, then immediately drizzle caramel over popcorn mixture; toss with the sprayed spoons/spatulas until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake until caramel is shiny and coats popcorn, tossing mixture occasionally to break up large clumps.

Cool and enjoy!

Smoky Bacon-Ginger Cookies

It's that baking time of the year for me when it seems as if my kitchen is a non-stop flurry of activity!
I baked these cookies the night after Thanksgiving because I was bored and had the "hankering" to bake something!
The recipe comes from the new 2010 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies issue that comes out each year in November.
Always looking for interesting and unique recipes, this one really proves to be unique.

These highly flavorful cookies build upon the bacon-for-dessert craze with a couple of other fashionable ingredients--sorghum and smoked sea salt. If you can't find sorghum, locally, which I could not find in my area, unsulfured molasses can be used.

For about 5 dozen cookies, you'll need:

8 oz thick-cut smoked bacon (about 6 slices)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teas. baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teas. ground cinnamon
1/2 teas. coarse salt
3 Tablespoons plus 2 teas. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Large Egg
1/3 cup sorghum syrup or unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup raw sugar, such as turbinado (Sugar In The Raw brand)
Smoked sea salt, for sprinkling, such as Maldon's

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 14 minutes. Pour off fat and reserve (you should have 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fat and 3/4 cup bacon); transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, let bacon and reserved fat cool.


Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, granulated and brown sugars on medium-high until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in reserved bacon fat. Add egg and mix until blended, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add sorghum (or molasses) and mix until blended. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, mixing until blended.

Mix in the reserved bacon.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the raw sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone non-stick baking mats. Flatten balls using the palm of your hand or a spatula, sprinkle lightly with smoked sea salt.

Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until edges are set and tops are cracked but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Cheesy Bacon-Tomato Pie

We're nearing the end of tomato season and I can never get enough of them! I guess that's the Sicilian blood in me!

This year I grew a very productive tomato plant and as of the date of this post, the plant is still thriving!!

Always on the look out for new and exciting recipes, I came across this pie which incorporates the fresh taste of tomatoes, along with bacon, cheese, & basil! It's almost like a "BLT" Pie!

I'm pleased to say that the tomatoes, basil and onions came directly from my container garden!

The ingredients:

6 large tomatoes (2 lb.), peeled, sliced (1/4 inch)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped onions, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 oz. bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 (9-inch) baked pie crust


To peel tomatoes, cut small “X” in bottom of each tomato. Place in large pot of boiling water 30 to 60 seconds or until skins become loose; place in large bowl of ice water. Skins should slip off with help of paring knife.

Drain tomato slices on paper towels 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the green onions and pepper in medium bowl.

Layer half the tomatoes, bacon, basil and remaining 1/4 cup green onions in pie crust. Top with remaining tomatoes. Spread mayonnaise mixture over top.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown (cover edge of crust with foil if browning too quickly).
Allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy a little of summer's gifts!

Breakfast To Go - Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel Sandwich

As most people know, we tend to rush out in the early morning on our way to work or school, skipping breakfast. I'm very much guilty of it myself. Then I discovered this easy to make breakfast sandwich from the cookbook, "Mad Hungry - Feeding Men & Boys". It combines eggs, bacon, cheese and a bagel in an easy to eat on the go breakfast and better than any drive-thru "McAnything" ever! Of course, ham or even thinly sliced turkey can be substituted for the bacon.

Helpful hint: To save time, when you buy bacon, cook the entire package at once, (line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, lay strips of bacon out evenly, bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, drain on paper towel), let cool, and wrap (3 slices at a time) in plastic wrap. Freeze and use as needed. 10 seconds in the microwave or a minute in a preheated pan and it's ready to use!

First, slice a bagel of choice (I choose asiago cheese). Butter the halves and toast them in a toaster oven or on a griddle. If using a regular toaster, butter AFTER you've toasted the bagel.

Heat a cast iron (or non-stick) skillet and place a tablespoon of butter. Crack two eggs in the pan, keeping them separated. As soon as the whites are set, break the yolks. Honestly, I've never been that great at frying eggs, so beauty is not important here!

I personally prefer my fried eggs to have completely set and cooked yolks, and a bit well done, so I do flip the eggs, but this is where you can cook them to your preference.

Place a slice of cheese (your favorite cheese!) on one egg and top with 3 slices of bacon. Place the other egg, yolk side down, on top of the bacon.

Lift the "egg pile" onto the bottom half of the bagel, top with the other half and lightly press together.

Serve immediately or wrap in parchment paper to eat on the go! Of course, you can add a little hot sauce or ketchup (YUM!)!