Yup, I said it. BOURBON BACON BRITTLE. I make some variation of bacon brittle every Christmas, so it is truly a treat, and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it! This year, bourbon, my husband’s bevy of choice is lacing this maple bacon, giving it a major wow factor! Feel free to leave it out though, if bourbon is not your thaaang. It’s just as tasty with that heavenly layer of maple all by itself!
Make a few batches of this to give away as gifts and you’ll have life-long friends! Add a mini hammer and a mini bottle of bourbon and it’s perfection!
Bourbon Bacon Brittle
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 cup salted roasted peanuts
- Bourbon of choice – 3 tablespoons
- Maple syrup-3 tablespoons
- Granulated sugar – 1 cup
- Light corn syrup 1/2 cup
- Water- 1/2 cup
- Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
- Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling
Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the bacon strips with bourbon and maple. Bake the bacon for about 25 minutes until it becomes crispy. Let bacon cool and chop the bacon strips into bite sized pieces.
Brittle
Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil.
Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 300°, it should be golden brown. Immediately remove from heat. You can also drop a small amount of the mixture into very cold water to test, it should separate into threads that will snap when it is ready.
Stir in butter, vanilla, baking soda, peanuts and bacon. The mixture will get foamy. When the foam subsides, pour the mixture into the baking sheet as quickly and as thin as possible.Use a silicone spatula sprayed with cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking.
Sprinkle with sea salt and cool for at least 15 minutes. Use your tool of choice to break it into pieces. The kids love to help with this step!
Buon Appetito!
Sara ~Fresh Foodie Mama~
Fresh Foodie Mama 
What an epic take on a classic recipe. Bacon and bourbon sound so manly. I love the sound of this but I think I’d have to hide some of it from my husband if I wanted to keep some for myself.
This post would make a great submission to Our Growing Edge, which is a link up party for new food adventures. This month’s theme is “Nostalgia”. More info here: http://bunnyeatsdesign.com/our-growing-edge/
Thank you so much! I understand about hiding some from your husband….as I nosh on a piece while mine’s sleeping 😉 I will check out Our Growing Edge, thanks for thinking of me!