Ahh springtime, known for cleaning of closets and of blogs. Seriously. You wouldn’t believe how many posts are just sitting here, waiting for me to write them if I would only make the time. Like this one of these delicious bacon chocolate chip cookie bars! This recipe is my go-to “Crap, I’m supposed to bring something and I need to leave in an hour” pick so these cookies get made (but not photographed) often.
The base recipe is actually the Tollhouse cookie recipe, minus nuts, plus bacon. Baking at altitude here in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains is a bitch. When you find a recipe that works, you stick with it, even if it isn’t yours, and the Tollhouse recipe never fails. Mama always said you can’t improve upon perfection, right? Mama also always said cite your source. So, source cited, thank you Tollhouse. However, um, I don’t use their chips for these cookie bars (sorry Nestle!) because I prefer dark chocolate, especially as a compliment to the salty smoky bacon.
Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
–10 strips of bacon (depending on type of cut, enough to fill a cookie sheet when laid out)
–2 TBSP brown sugar (light or dark, whatever your flavor)
–2 1/4 cups flour
–1 tsp baking soda
–1 tsp salt
–1 cup butter, room temperature or softened
–3/4 cup granulated sugar (white)
–3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
–1 tsp vanilla
–2 eggs
–12 oz. dark chocolate chips
*You will need two cookie sheets for this recipe if you know what’s good fer ya.
Lay the raw bacon slices out on the first sheet, making sure the pieces do not overlap. Sprinkle evenly with the 2 TBSP brown sugar and bake at 350 degrees until fully cooked and crispy, turning once. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When cool, chop into small pieces.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy and well-mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Working in batches, slowly mix in the flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in the chocolate pieces and the bacon. Grab the second cookie sheet and spray it with a light layer of cooking spray. Spread out the dough mixture in the second cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool the baking sheet on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Dammit Jim, I’m not a doctor…
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 30 cookie bars
Calories: Don’t think about it. You probably don’t want to know.
