Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

So my husband had a very large test.. this test sorta determines your status as a PhD student.. ie if you get to stay in the program or not. Needless to say he was a little stressed out... but I had every confidence that he would pass with no problem.

I saw this recipe on my Pinterest page and knew that I had to make these and send them with him for is exam.

For starters I have to say that i have a chocolate chip cookie (ccc) dilema.. they are such a staple cookie and I always want to have them perfect.. even though i do not like ccc I have a very distinct idea of what the perfect ccc should be. I needs to be at least 3 inches in diameter with a chewy center, crispy edges, slightly puffy and have very visible chocolate chips. The tolehouse recipe on the back of the cc bag does not cut it.. martha stewarts chewy cc recipe in her cookies book is even worse. I have tried a baker's dozen of recipes and never have I come across the holy grail of ccc. Needles to say I was not expecting much from these cookies, just to be a mediocre ccc with some added candied bacon, but i knew that this would suit my husbands fancy.

So I started the recipe... lo and behold, the candying of the bacon did not work out.. not even one little bit, I ended up with a burnt gooey mess.

Game plan switch... go with the ccc recipe and just add crisp bacon at the step that the cc are added to the dough.

The first sheet came out of the oven and THE HEAVENS OPENED UP, ANGELS WERE SINGING AND I HAD FOUND THE HOLY GRAIL. These ccc fit the bill, big, chewy, crispy, with very visible chips.. plus a bonus.. BACON!

I wasnt even looking to perfect my ccc recipe, but it just happened, practically perfect in every way.. Just my luck, stop looking for something and it shows up on your doorstep.. or in your oven

So here is the recipe and added instructions that i did, modified from this recipe

Ingredients

8 Slices of thick cut bacon

2 1/4c Flour

1/2tsp Baking soda

3/4c Butter at room temp

1/2c White sugar

1c Brown sugar

1Tbsp Vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4c sea salt

Directions

1. Crisp bacon in a frying pan, until very crispy but not burnt. Then place on a plate with a paper towel to cool and drain while you prep the dough

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

3. Sift flour and baking soda together in a bowl

4. In a separate bowl cream the butter with both sugars til light and fluffly

5. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk to the butter sugar mixture and beat til combined

6. Slowly add the flower mixture to the wet ingredients and beat til combined, scrapping bowl as needed

7. Chop the bacon into 1/4 inch dices and add to the dough, also add the chocolate chips at this time. Mix until just combined.

8. Place golf ball sized balls of dough on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt

9. Place the sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes.

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are brown rotating cookie sheet half way through. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the pan for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack

Tart

Well so much for my new resolve to post more often. Since April there has been one graduation, 2 birthdays, an engagement lots of movies, rich's graduate school quals and lots and lots of heartache in lab.. so now you can see why I have been absent for so long.

Anywho Fruit Tarts are one of my fave desserts, but for some reason people like to muddle them with chocolate or white chocolate.. which i hate. Thats right, i hate chocolate.. milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate.. all of it.. i hate it... You say i am weird, but there it is.. my deep dark baking secret I hate chocolate.. I bake with it.. sure, but I give all of those away and never taste them, which is weird for most bakers.

Back to the tart.. fruit tart is one of the desserts that you can find on a menu or at a store that I love.. a lot of times there are not many non-chocolate dessert options at stores and restaraunts.. its true, next time you are out, think of me and look for the sad non-chocolate dessert option on the menu. its probably vanilla ice cream or plain cheescake, maybe you are lucky and find carrot cake, but not usually.

So fruit tart.. i made this tart for a book club/baby shower and it was oooooo so delish and satisfied all of my non-chocolate hearts desires in dessert.

So go ahead, make the tart and think of all the people out there that love desserts without chocolate in them

Fruit Tart Recipe modified from Here

Tart Crust:1-1/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2inch cubes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cream or half-and-half

Custard Filling:1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups half and half
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

Fruit Topping:2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
6 to 8 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup blueberries

DirectionsPut the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor bowl.
Pulse to blend the ingredients.
Add the butter cubes and pulse until incorporated into the flour.
Add the yolk and cream.
Pulse a few more times until the mixture starts to come together.

Remove the dough and shape into a disk.
Place the dough into a 9 to 9-1/2-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.
Press the dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Pierce the dough all over with a fork.
Refrigerate the tart shell for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake the tart crust for 20 to 22 minutes.
Press down any bubbles that form in the crust during baking.
Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the sides of the tart pan.
filling:
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.
In a bowl, whisk together the half and half and egg yolks.
Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the sugar mixture.

Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
Stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Pour the custard into a bowl.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling.
Let stand at least 30 minutes.
Spoon the custard into the prepared crust.
Smooth the top even with the edge of the crust.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.
fruit topping:Arrange the sliced fruit and berries on the surface of the cooled filling. Smile!