Description
Candied bacon adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients
Units
Scale
The Cheeses:
- Parmigiano reggiano
- Aged Irish white cheddar
- Aged Wisconsin orange cheddar
- Gorgonzola
- Brie log
- Manchego with paprika
The Crackers and Bread:
- Grissini breadsticks
- Sea salt crackers
- Raincoast rosemary raisin pecan crisps
- Sliced French baguette
The Fruit:
- Pomegranates
- Bosc pears
- Honey-crisp apples
- Concord grapes
- Decorative gourds
The Charcuterie:
- Herb-crusted salami
- Candied bacon (recipe below)
The Condiments:
- Smoky Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus (recipe here)
- Bourbon Apple Butter (recipe below)
The Nuts & Seeds:
- Roasted almonds
- Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
For the Candied Bacon:
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 8 ounces bacon
For the Bourbon Apple Butter:
- 8 medium-sized mixed apples, cored and chopped into chunks, skin left on
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Candied Bacon:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- Place bacon slices on a large baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and brush both sides generously with the brown sugar mixture. Return the bacon to the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Brush with the sugar mixture every 5 minutes until bacon is caramelized and crisp, about 30 minutes. Immediately remove the bacon from the tray and set on a rack to cool.
For the Bourbon Apple Butter:
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the apples, bourbon, and light brown sugar.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down to a low heat. Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so to make sure the apples don't burn.
- Remove the lid and blend using a stick blender until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice blend, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue to cook down, stirring often, until thick and browned, about 1 hour. Blend again, if necessary.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.