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By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent


Bacon & Peanut Butter Cookies

Courtesy of Raina Bien
Makes 48 cookies
1 pound bacon
2-1/2 cups flour, unbleached
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), cubed and softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter, smooth (not natural)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups salted peanuts, finely ground in a food processor
Turbinado (raw) sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bacon on jelly roll pans and bake for about 20-30 minutes, flipping each piece halfway through cooking. When all the fat has been rendered and the bacon is very crispy, drain the strips on paper towels.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350. Pour the rendered grease into a metal bowl and chill it in the refrigerator (or freezer) until cool and solidified. Stir the grease occasionally to speed the cooling process.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Chop the bacon or crumble it by hand into small pieces, about 1/4-inch square.
Using an electric stand mixer beat the butter until creamy. Mix in 8 tablespoons of the cool bacon fat. Add the sugars and beat until creamy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the peanut butter until thoroughly combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and then, on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the ground peanuts and bacon until mixed.
Form the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and place them on a sheet pan, spaced about 2 inches apart. Dip a fork in water and press the tines into the surface of each piece of dough two times, to slightly flatten the cookie and to form a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle the cookies with a generous amount of turbinado sugar.
Bake the cookies, 2 sheet pans at a time, for about 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans midway through baking. The outer edges of the cookies should only just begin to turn golden, while the center of the cookie will still look a bit pale.
Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Bacon Pesto Mac & Cheese

Courtesy of Jenny Flake, picky-palate.com
Makes 8-10 servings
1-1/2 pounds bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
3 cups whole milk, or more as needed
1 cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces pesto
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 15-18 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
While the bacon is cooking, in a large saucepan or small stockpot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Wipe out the saucepan or small stockpot and return it to medium heat. Add the butter.
When the butter is melted, sprinkle in the flour, salt, and pepper and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheeses. Stir in the pasta and pesto. Set aside 1 cup of bacon and stir in the remaining bacon. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved bacon. (If mixture gets too thick as it cools, stir in additional milk.)
Bacon-Cheddar Popcorn

Courtesy of James Villas, The Bacon Cookbook
Makes four servings
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, extra-sharp, finely grated
Salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble finely.
Pour 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a stove-top popcorn popper or deep, heavy saucepan with a lid, add vegetable oil and heat over moderately high heat until the mixture begins to smoke. Add the popcorn, cover and shake the pan until the popping stops.
Pour the popcorn into a large ovenproof pot, add the cheese, bacon and salt and toss. Heat in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.
9/26/2014