Bakin’ With Bacon for Father’s Day

A Bacon Treat for the Royal Dad for Father’s Day

You all know perfectly well that tomorrow is Father’s Day here in the good old US of A.    Well even I – a King – have a Father who deserves something special for “his” day.    My parents are nuts about shrimp and BBQ-ing so I thought this recipe would be PERFECTION for them to do tomorrow.     Besides, I can always get a shrimp or two of my very own out of the deal.     Check it out:

Grilled BBQ Bacon Shrimp

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter1/2 cup finely chopped onions1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepperSalt and freshly ground black pepper1 (1-inch) piece ginger, grated    (Note:  Couldn’t get fresh ginger at our grocery so skipped it)1/2 cup dark brown sugar1/4 cup orange juice1 cup ketchup16 colossal shrimp, shelled with tail on, deveined (about 1 1/4 pounds)4 slices bacon

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Soak skewers in water while preparing the BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan melt butter and saute onions and jalapeno, until tender. Season with cayenne, and salt and pepper. Add ginger, brown sugar, orange juice and ketchup in that order making sure to blend each ingredient completely before adding the next ingredient. Let simmer until the edges begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Once cool, remove half of the sauce and reserve for dipping. The other half is for brushing on the shrimp when grilling. Cut bacon in thirds. Thread each shrimp onto a skewer, starting from the tail end. Bend the shrimp as you thread it so it lies in 1 straight line on the skewer, removing its natural curve. Wrap the center of each shrimp with a piece of bacon. Brush with BBQ sauce and place skewers with bacon, seam side down, onto the grill. Cook over medium heat until bacon crisps and shrimp is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

 

Do I have to describe how yummy these are?   No? 

Good because they are indescribably delish!

Happy Fathers’ Day to Dads everywhere – Royal and Otherwise!

King Teddy

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Ted

Here I am – back again with another unbelievable BACONIZED recipe!

A lot of my recipes aren’t what anyone would call “healthy” but I can tell you one thing they DEFINITELY are………….they’re GOOD!     This is one of those.   It’s got chocolate, bourbon (just a little!) bacon – well let’s just say there MAY be a lot of calories involved but once in a while – we MUST MUST MUST indulge – spoil ourselves – do it ANYWAY.   This might be the one that pushes you over the edge.    It’s VERY tasty.

Chocolate Pound Cake With Bourbon Bacon Frosting

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

BOURBON BACON FROSTING

• 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 9×5 loaf pans with butter and sprinkle them with cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (fitted with the paddle), add the butter and beat until creamy and smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides when needed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for a minute or so and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium, beating until the batter is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until cake is set in the middle. Let cool completely.

BOURBON BACON FROSTING

• Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on medium speed until creamy and blended. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Add in the bourbon and vanilla extract, then beat the frosting on medium to high speed until creamy, scraping down the sides when needed. Stir in half of the bacon with a spatula. Frost the cakes once cooled, then sprinkle the remaining bacon on top!

 

So was I right?    Are you salivating?   Of course you are………….Those of you who can’t eat bacon – I’m sorry about that………..and if you want to leave out the bourbon do – but really everything in this recipe is there for a reason.    This is serious pound cake and my Mom has always loved cream cheese based frosting – this has the extra added attraction of bourbon and bacon in the frosting.     Remember – a recipe is just a guide – you can modify to your own taste.    OK?  OK!

Yes it is……….TOTALLY!

 

Have a good weekend and I’ll see you back in Castle Baconia’s kitchen next Saturday for more yumminess.   Bring your appetite along.    You won’t be sorry!

Your King………..

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Ted

Happy Saturday Visitors to Castle Baconia!

Yes this is the Kingdom of bacon and I am the King……..my mission is to bring you a fabulous baconized recipe every single Saturday until I run out of recipes.    Heck, I’ve even been known to “re-run” a recipe once in a while too!      This week I’m doing a recipe sent to me by a loyal subject, SammyP at 15andMeowing.

This is a recipe that has fascinated me for years – actually it also fascinated Angel Sammy who was King of Baconia before I inherited the throne.    Candied bacon.    I bet you’ve heard of it but have you made it?     It’s really easy to make and I don’t think I can adequately describe in my own words how amazing this tastes.   You can buy maple cured bacon in the grocery but this is one step beyond that.    The brown sugar and pepper takes it to a whole different level!

Maple Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick sliced bacon
• 1/4 cup bourbon barrel aged maple syrup*
• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil topped with a sheet of parchment paper.

To make the maple and brown sugar glaze, combine the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and reserve.

Arrange the bacon strips on the prepared baking sheet, overlapping slightly if needed.

Bake until the bacon slices start to brown, about 15 minutes. Blot the excess grease with paper towels.

Brush generously with the glaze and sprinkle generously with the black pepper. Continue baking for 5 minutes.

Turn the bacon strips, blot extra grease, and brush generously with the glaze. Sprinkle all over with freshly ground black pepper.

Continue baking until bacon strips are crispy and browned, about 10 more minutes. Your exact cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. Watch carefully towards the end of cooking time so bacon doesn’t overcook.

Remove from the oven and cool. Blot any excess grease. Arrange on a platter and serve. Makes 12 pieces.

Oh boy……give this recipe a try – you’ve just GOTTA!

Your King about to begin his bacon coma nap!   See you next Saturday

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Teddy

Hello Loyal Baconites!   Time for something YUMMY in the kitchen!

I’ve got a whopper of a bread recipe for you today.   Don’t freak out because it’s BREAD – this is an EASY one.    Honest.   And the best part is it has BACON in it.   How can you resist bacon – especially if there’s also cheese involved????

Give this one a whirl – it’s pretty darn easy and EXTREMELY delicious……..especially warm from the oven.

Loaded Bacon Cheddar Bread

This recipe makes TWO delicious loaves…………………

Ingredients

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 3 cups warm water
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cup cheddar cheese, fresh grated not bagged
• 10 strips cooked thick cut bacon, chopped and divided
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine water, yeast, salt and sugar. Allow mixture to sit for several minutes.
2. Add flour, two cups of cheese, bacon and fresh ground black pepper. Stir with spoon until combined. Dough will be shaggy. Don’t stress if it looks messy. It will come together in the end.
3. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour.
4. After an hour, turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes. It does not need to be completely smooth. Just knead it long enough to come together. Divide dough into two equal halves and place in standard loaf pans.
5. Cover loaves with remaining cheese and bacon. Cover with towel and allow to rest for thirty minutes.
6. Bake in a 400` oven for fifteen minutes. Cover loosely with foil and reduce heat to 350` and continue baking for another 35 minutes. Remove foil and allow to bake for another 10 minutes.

 

See?   Not tough at all is it.    Give it a try – how can you not try it when it’s got BACON in it?    You are a bacon lover right???    Right!!!!!

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!

Happy Bacon – oops I mean Happy Weekend!   

Your King

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Ted

It is I – Your King – With a SCRUMPTIOUS Potato Pie Recipe!

I just can’t imagine anything going wrong with a recipe like this.   A meat shell pie is a great idea but add potato, cheese, bacon, onion and cream of mushroom soup – well how the heck can you go wrong right?    I could eat a WEDGE of this right now if I wasn’t elbow deep in making it here in my kitchen right now (wait…..do cats have elbows???).     Anyway, this one is easy enough that you really SHOULD try it sometime.

 

Meat Shell Potato Pie

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chuck or lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch pepper
• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine beef, 1/2 cup soup, onion, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper; mix well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes; drain.
• Combine potatoes and remaining soup in a bowl; mix until fluffy. Spread over meat crust. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes. Cut into wedges.

I love this guy – he’s a character after my own heart!

Enjoy your week everyone and I’ll be back next Saturday with another winning recipe………at least I hope you think it’s winning anyway.

Have a delightfully royal weekend everyone!   

Your King