Chocolate Chip And Candied Bacon Cookies

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon (thick slices)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons bacon drippings (that have cooled and become solid)
• 4 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup pecans (chopped coarsely)
• 3 cups chocolate chips

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
• 3 put the 1/2 cup brown sugar in a medium size bowl. doing one strip of bacon at a time, put bacon in the bowl and totally coat with the brown sugar. place the bacon flat on parchment lined baking sheet. repeat until all are done. any left over sugar can be sprinkled onto the bacon in the baking sheet. bake for about 12 minutes. turn each piece of bacon over and baste with the bacon grease. return to the oven and bake an additional 12 minutes (or until the bacon is well cooked and crisp -- do not burn!). remove from oven and set on rack to cool. break up (or cut up) the bacon into small pieces the size of the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. set aside until needed.
• 4 in a large mixing bowl, cream together the bacon grease, shortening, butter and sugars. add the eggs, vinegar and vanilla. slowly add in the flour mixture, and mix just until you no longer see flour. then fold in the bacon, nuts and chocolate chips. refrigerate dough in covered bowl for 3 hours minimum (i do mine over night).
• 5 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6 line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 7 drop a tablespoon of cookie dough at a time onto the parchment paper. bake for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven). the cookies should be golden brown. don't remove them from the pan right away, wait a couple of minutes first, then place cookies on a wire cooling rack. (if you don't have a wire cooling rack, place on a wax paper lined surface to cool completely).