Sweet And Salty Bacon And Nuts Recipes

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

SWEET AND SALTY BACON AND NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skilled until brown and crisp, 8-9 minutes. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour 1/4 cup of the bacon fat on a heavy rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Beat the egg white and salt until just foamy using a whisk in a medium bowl. Gradually add the sugar and beat until just blended. Add the almonds, walnuts and cayenne pepper. Toss until the nuts are coated. Spread the nut mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are crisp and brown, about 35 minutes, turning and stirring the nut mixture with a metal spatula every 10-15 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Transfer nut mixture to a bowl, add the bacon pieces and toss to blend. This recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SWEET, SALTY, SPICY PARTY NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Combine walnut halves, pecan halves, almonds, and cashews in a large bowl. Add salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper; toss to coat.
• Heat sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. Slowly pour butter mixture over the bowl of nuts and stir to coat.
• Transfer nuts to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
• Bake nuts in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir nuts until the warm syrup coats every nut. Spread into a single layer, return to the oven, and bake until nuts are sticky and roasted, about 6 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

SWEET AND SPICY BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Arrange bacon slices in l layer on a large broiler pan and bake in middle of oven (or upper third of oven if baking with eggs) 20 minutes. Turn slices over and sprinkle evenly with spiced sugar. Continue baking until bacon is crisp and brown, 15 to 20 minutes more, then transfer to paper towels to drain.