It was a baking bonanza around here this week! Our dear friend Chris celebrated his birthday on Monday and in wishing him many happy returns I told him he could pick a birthday treat of choice. I even listed off some popular options….like cake…cupcakes…brownies. And just for fun (vegetarian fun, I guess) I threw in bacon too.

So he wrote back “Bacon Brownies?” …..game on.

Between Pinterest, my cookbook collection and my stash of clippings, I feel like I have a recipe for just about anything. Except Bacon Brownies. But, luckily, a highly-rated recipe is always just a click away. And the next thing you know, our kitchen reeks of bacon and Bella’s camped out next to the air purifier waiting for her portion to fall.

I love baking for friends…well, anyone, really…but part of that fun is me getting to taste it. I mean, that’s why we bake right? To eat it. This was the first recipe I’ve made that I haven’t been able to even try. Not even a lick of the beater or a finger-swipe around the bowl. Cue the sad music and hand me a violin, will ya?

Don’t let that confetti of fried bacon bits and toasted pecans fool you. You know what’s lurking under that crunchy layer, wrapped up in that chocolate batter? Bourbon. Okay, well, that’s never stopped me…you know what else is in there???

Bacon Fat.

In. the. batter.

God help us all.

I forgot to mention in my latest baking post that cookies require NO recipe adjusting for the high-altitude. Amen! But, you might remember that brownies do. I added probably 1/8 c. of extra flour to this batter.

The recipe says it should be “jiggly” and to not over bake. I under baked these by 5 minutes and everything had already set, but Joe assures me they weren’t dry or over baked. So my advice is to keep a watchful eye on it. My very best taste-tester assured me they were fudgy, dense, incredibly rich and delicious. He said it tasted like a brownie you’d pay $10 for at a restaurant.

Game. Set. Match.

Here are the meat-eaters enjoying their Bacon Brownies. Happy birthday, Chris! We love you and Chilali and are so thankful for your friendship and all the fun we always have together. You make Utah extra awesome.

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies

From Food and Wine

½  c. pecans
½  lb. sliced bacon
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 c. granulated sugar
½ packed cup light brown sugar
3 Tbs. bourbon
4 large eggs
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on 2 opposite sides. Spray the paper with vegetable spray. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.

In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and let cool; reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat. Finely chop the bacon.

In a saucepan, combine both chocolates with the butter and stir over very low heat, until melted; scrape into a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in both sugars with the reserved 3 tablespoons of bacon fat. Beat in the bourbon. Add the eggs and salt and beat until smooth. Sift the cocoa and flour into the bowl and beat until blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the bacon and pecans on top. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the brownies are set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center; a toothpick inserted into the center should have some batter clinging to it. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the brownies cool completely.