Candied Bacon - Heavenly!!!!!

CANDIED BACON - DELICIOUS, SCRUMPTIOUS AND ADDICTING!

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe. Today was a baking and cooking day for me as I was getting ready for Bible study group tonight. I like to have a few snacks for the gang. 

Do you like bacon? I DO, I DO!!!! This is the most superb way to prepare bacon and, guess what? It's so simple and so heavenly! I can guarantee that when you make a batch of this "Food of the Gods" you will have a line to your kitchen just waiting for you to pull out a pan of this "crack" from the oven.
Go ahead, I dare you to make a batch! You'll see...if you make some, they will come! Guaranteed!

RECIPE:

FIRST THINGS FIRST - DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!

Prepare your cookie sheet by lining it with foil! Completely wrap the entire baking surface with foil....and then lay out a piece of parchment paper over that!
WARNING: if you skip this step, I hope you have a power sprayer or a roll of coins for the car wash, because the bacon WILL stick to an unprotected pan and the brown sugar....well, it will make sugar cement that will not come off for about 100 years!!! Not kidding! I know this from experience and I had to buy new pans.
DON'T try to make this reicpe by putting the bacon on wire racks either. The sugar will become cemented into the small holes of the rack and you will have to be soak them overnight with boiling water or harsh chemicals. Next, you will have to use a wire brush to get off the baked on caramelized sugar cement!

PREP STEPS:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

1. Pan Prep: Take two pieces of foil - larger in length than the cookie sheet by a couple of inches at both ends. Fold the two pieces together at one of the longest sides to create a single large piece of foil. Fold and crease the seam of the foil several times to make a good seal. Now, place this now huge piece of foil over the cookie sheet and crinkle the edges tightly around all the edges of the cookie sheet.
2. Next, place one piece of parchment paper over the bottom surface of the foil lined cookie sheet -- the bottom surface only -- no need to wrap the sides with the parchment.
3. Place two large pieces of parchment paper on the surface of your counter...to be used when the bacon is finished cooking.
4. Have some paper towels available to touch the bacon before placing on parchment after they are cooked to remove some of the bacon grease.

RECIPE:

• 1 pound of THICK sliced, smoked bacon (I use applewood smoked) DO NOT USE THIN SLICED BACON!
• 3/4 to 1 cup of dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar will do)
• 2 teaspoons ground Cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lay out, single layer, all the bacon that will fit on one cookie sheet. I usually cannot fit the entire
   
   pound of bacon on one cookie sheet...you might have to use two cookie sheets. or make two separate batches. I leave a small gap between each piece of bacon.
2. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and spread it out evenly over the top of all the bacon. Some of the bacon will peep through, but mostly it will be generously covered.
3. Carefully and as lightly as possible, distribute the cayenne pepper over the brown sugar. You will hardly be able to tell that it is on there...be careful. A little bit goes a long way!
4. Place one cookie sheet in the oven at a time. CENTER most rack.
5. Bake at 350F degrees for about 25 minutes. The edge pieces will darken more! So, if they get too dark, pull them out and let the center piece continue to darken. They should be the color of dark amber ale when done.
   CAREFUL!!!! IF you do not keep a close eye on the bacon, it will go from beautiful caramelized to BURNT in a flash!
   
6. CAUTION!!!!Remove the finished bacon from the oven...HOT SUGAR! HOT GREASE! IT WILL BURN if it touches your skin!!!!
   
7. Using your tongs, carefully, pick up one piece of bacon from the pan, lightly touch the bacon to a

   

   See a few of the pieces of bacon are really dark...
   they were close to the edge of the baking sheet.

   piece of paper towel to remove some of the excess grease and place the bacon on the parchment paper you have already put on the counter. Let it cool to harden.
8. In about 5 to 10 minutes, the bacon will be hard and crunchy. Store in a dry place in a sealed container...if there are any leftovers. LOL!

NOTE:

the this picture of my shiny baking sheet is how it looked after I removed the foil...after the

grease and sugar cement had cooled completely, I removed the foil and parchment and then tossed it into a trash can...see?! NO sticky sugar cement. No mess! EASY to clean up...simply remove the foil and throw it in the trash. It pays to prepare!