Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe

I'm afraid I don't have a very pretty photo for you today. I made this for breakfast on Sunday to go along with some pumpkin challah French toast and we were already down to the last two strips when I decided I wanted to snag a shot for the blog.

Unfortunately, the battery in my camera was dying and only gave me enough time to get this one (sorta-blurry) picture. Fuzzy or not, I think it gets the point across.

The point in question is bacon of course. Crisp, perfectly cooked bacon with, well...a little bit of a twist. It's salty. It's sweet. It's spicy. It's bacon that wakes up in your mouth and makes you go "oh!" and then seconds later, after that second wave of flavor hits you feel yourself go "oh!" yet again.

This recipe originally came from a 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine, but I kicked up the spices a bit (as I'm wont to do). It doesn't require a lot of effort and the results are positively decadent; just perfect for a Sunday morning!

Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe

Ingredients
2.5 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½-1 teaspoon black pepper (depends how spicy you want it)
1 lb thick-cut bacon (about 10-12 slices)


To make
1. Place your oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, sift together the brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper.

3. Place a broiler rack over a baking sheet (in a pinch, foil will also work). Spread out the bacon slices on the rack trying to keep them from overlapping. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and flip the slices. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the slices, using a brush or the back of a spoon to rub into the meat.

5. Return to the oven for another 10 to 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp and deep golden. Transfer to paper towels and serve hot.