Sweet and Spicy Brown Sugar and Maple Candied Bacon
A little sweet, a little chewy and just a tad bit spicy. This easy bacon is baked in the oven until crispy. Clean up is easy if you line your baking sheet with foil. Great for a special brunch or served as a topping for a salad. Serve in an upright vase or a rustic jar so that your guests can just pluck them out. A great addition to Bloody Mary’s too!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 lb. regular sliced bacon
(thick bacon will not cook as fast or to the right crunchy/chewy consistency)
1 cup light brown sugar - do not substitute
(dark sugar has too much molasses and won’t taste the same)
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup real maple syrup (imitiation maple syrup will burn)
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
oil for greasing the wire rack
aluminum foil for lining the cookie sheet
parchment paper for drying the bacon so it does not stick
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare your pan. Line a cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up. Place a baking rack on top of the foil, so that the bacon cooks evenly on top as well as underneath. Place on middle rack in oven.
Place the brown sugar with the paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Brush the bacon on both sides using half of the maple syrup. Reserve the extra maple syrup to brush on after the bacon is cooked. Press the bacon into the sugar mixture.
Arrange the bacon on top of the wire rack. Press the extra sugar onto the top of the bacon.
Bake for 25 minutes, rotate half way through until the bacon is cooked, and carmelized to a dark brown.
Spread the bacon out on a sheet of parchment to cool. Cool completely.
This can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container. Make sure you keep it at room temperature. It is actually good for 2-3 days.
Whisk the remaining maple syrup with the red pepper flakes. Brush the bacon before serving with the mixture, or just serve alongside for dipping.