Bacon Toffee

Submitted by Raquel Grinnell

"From the foodie blog Off The Bone.... Ever since I visited the restaurant Animal in L.A. I have been obsessed with bacon desserts... their Chocolate Bacon Crunch Bar is possibly the best dessert I've ever put in my mouth.... and in Googling the recipe (unsuccessfully) I found this and immediately had to save it here!! Their description: "The novelty value of the concept gets the first piece in people’s mouths, but the balance and complexity keep you eating. It’s got salt and sweetness, smoke and caramel, and this intriguing combination of crisp and chewy – try finding this sort of bacon chewiness in another dessert.""

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Yields: 1 lb. toffee
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 5 pieces bacon, smoky
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt

directions

1. Line a baking tray with a silpat, or oil it very well.
2. Crisp bacon in a skillet or under a broiler and drain on paper towels. Break or chop them into 1/4” bits and set aside. Don’t go too small, because you want them to have personality in your mouth. Use a smoky bacon, ideally lightly cured.
3. Place in a heavy saucepan, in this order: 1/4 cup water, 1 stick butter, a large pinch of salt, and 1 cup sugar.
4. Over medium-high heat, cook till the mixture reaches 285F, stirring often. In practice, this means that you cook it until it’s a good toffee color, about the same color as the old tan m&ms. I’m not kidding about the stirring, though.
5. Pull it off heat, mix in the bacon bits, and pour onto the baking sheet. Spread quickly to about 1/4” thick, and let cool for 2 hours.
6. Using a hammer or the handle of a large knife, break the toffee into shards. This is best accomplished by whacking it through a folded paper towel.