Cocoa Crusted Chocolate Chip Bacon – Man Candy III
May 19th, 2013 | 
Author: Well as those 2 recipes went global I got requests for a dessert-y bacon. Now everyone and their mother makes chocolate dipped bacon (with peanut butter/caramel/nuts/etc) but I wanted something different. Why? I like to be different and push the envelope. Hmmm… wonder exactly what that means. I mean where is this proverbial ‘envelope’ they speak of anyway? *shrugs* this is how my mind works… scary, I know!
I’m not really sure how this came about as literally I was in the kitchen putzing around (yes, that’s a technical kitchen term for standing there staring into space pretending to be working but not really getting anything done) and I was moving the container of cocoa powder. For some reason I went to put it in the fridge (which again, I don’t normally do but like I said I was putzing around and not really paying attention) when I saw the package of bacon there. Inspiration hit me! Cocoa and Bacon! However have you ever dipped your finger in cocoa powder, expected it to taste just like chocolate only to realize that it soooooooooooo doesn’t taste like powdered chocolate but something butt nasty?! Yeah… so cruel! I knew I had to add sweetness to it. From that point on I was a machine. I love it when stuff just falls into place.
Yeah, I’m thinking it fell into place quite nicely! Now I’m not going to fool you. This isn’t pretty and it looks burnt BUT it’s not. That ‘burnt’/char look is PURE CHOCOLATE people! I mean seriously.. this stuff is crusted with cocoa and chocolate and so much love I can’t stand it!
This took that envelope and not only pushed it but it done sealed it shut, put a stamp on it and mailed it to Timbuktu!
THAT’S how incredible this Man Candy III is!
Go on, stare it some more. Trust me it was pure torture waiting for these to cool down as the smell of warm chocolate was incredible!
| Cocoa Crusted Chocolate Chip Bacon – Man Candy III |
|
- 1 lb thick cut bacon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used double dark chocolate)
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp chocolate extract (or water will work but the extract makes it)
- 1-2 tsp water
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder and extract in a bowl. You want not quite to a paste consistency (very slightly moist). If it’s too dry add a teensy bit of water.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Spray the rack with cooking spray.
- Place the pieces of bacon on top of the rack trying not to overlap.
- Lay the cocoa mixture on a plate and press each strip of bacon down into it coating the bottom.
- Flip over and coat the other side. You want a pretty good coating on this (no exposed bacon).
- Place in oven and cook for 13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and flip the bacon.
- If you want, add some more of the cocoa mixture on top of each strip.
- Return to the oven and cook for 13 minutes.
- If you want crispier bacon you can broil for 1 minute each side but watch as this will burn but keep in mind that this bacon will crisp/firm up while it’s cooling so broil at your discretion.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool 1 minute on the rack and then using cooking tongs, remove the bacon from the rack and plate.
- Carefully adorn each strip with mini chips (side facing up).
- While it looks charred and deep dark crusty (okay, not pretty) it’s unbelievably delicious.
To help simplify clean up, as these are cooling, fill your sink up with hot soapy water. Remove the bacon from the racks and immediately put your cooling racks in the water. Let soak for 5-10 minutes and clean up is a breeze! *Note – make sure your cooling racks can be submerged in water first!
Avocado Bacon Egg Salad
So the other day when I was making him his Classic Egg Salad (while making the gagging face from the mayo) I wanted some for me but I needed a way to make it creamy and yummy. As I made him I was eying up my counters and landed on a gorgeous avocado. I mean I love avocados and I use them in tons of stuff so why not egg salad, right?
As ‘His’ salad was chilling in the fridge I got to making mine. I mushed, smashed and creamed, added the rest of the stuff as the classic egg salad but it was missing something. It was good but it was a bit ‘thick’. I didn’t want to add water or god forbid, mayo but it needed something. By just adding a little bit of fat free sour cream this made the dish truly Classic Egg Salad-like. I absolutely LOVED it! I made it 2 ways – with bacon and without. Truthfully the bacon is totally not necessary (WHA??? HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT???? BACON IS ALWAYS NECESSARY!!!) but it’s really good twist on it.
Now what was funny is that I made his sandwiches with HIS egg salad and then sat down with this and a few crackers. The look of “WTH is that??” was priceless. I explained what it was to which he did something I’ve never, EVER seen him do…
He stopped mid-bite, unhinged his jaw from his sandwich and put his food down on the plate and just gave me such a puzzled look. I actually think I confused him with this dish.
I pretty much just let him stare as I slathered some on the cracker and stuffed it in my mouth.
*I* absolutely LOVED this! He, however, refused to try it because I messed with a classic. So yes, I broke one of the golden rules (and one of mine) but no way in hell is this child going to eat mayo on purpose! LOL
This paired nicely on a piece of Crusty Artisan No Knead Bread and a Summery Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette!
| Avocado Bacon Egg Salad |
- 4 Baked ‘Hard Boiled’ Eggs, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 whole avocado, pitted
- 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 4 slices crispy bacon, chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp coarse salt
- In a bowl add the avocado and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Using the back of a fork, mash the avocado into a creamy mixture.
- Add in the eggs, mustard, sour cream and black pepper.
- Mix gently to combine.
- Add in the bacon pieces and mix just to incorporate.
- Adjust seasonings if needed.
- Cover with plastic wrap tightly and chill for 30 minutes.
Posted in Appetizers, Breakfast, Diabetic Friendly, Gluten Free, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Snacks n'at | 
Tags: Avocado Bacon Egg Salad | 
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How to freeze bananas
The other day Mr. Fantabulous wanted a milkshake, a chocolate cake milkshake for that matter. Now while I LOVE these things, they are way too calorie intensive for me and I’d prefer to not have stuff jiggle when I walk! He, on the other hand, can eat anything and not gain a pound! <hate him!> LOL So as I was making his my stomach started to growl which means I was going to give into temptation even though I knew I shouldn’t. Fortunately after I filled his glass there was none left in the blender (aw damn… not.. well okay maybe a small damn). But the grumbling didn’t stop. As I stood there and stared at his luscious shake, I knew I had to make myself one.
You’re probably asking yourself “What in the world is she babbling on about milkshakes? I thought this was a tip about freezing bananas???” It is, haha, trust me! Since I wanted to cut the calories pretty significantly I used frozen bananas instead of ice cream. Now that recipe will be in a future post. But when I shared the picture of it on facebook and I explained that it was without ice cream but with a frozen banana, I was actually pretty taken back by how few knew how to freeze bananas properly. Most just thought you popped the banana in the freezer as-is.
Ever tried this? Sure they are hard as a rock BUT… ever try to peel a frozen banana? Yeah… how’d that work out for you eh? It didn’t right? The peel came off in shreds and was a PITA, right? So that’s what prompted me to write this and give a great tip. So when I make anything banana-y that requires a ripe banana (like banana bread and so forth) I use these. PLUS these little buggers make AWESOME treats (again, future post!).
| How to freeze bananas |
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- Bunch ripe bananas (no green, bright yellow with minimal brown) *See note
- Peel the bananas and slice into 1” chunks.
- Place the slices on a parchment lined pan.
- Place them in the freezer, uncovered until firm (about 1-2 hours).
- Remove the pan and store in a plastic bag or covered bowl in the freezer.
- When ready to use, add 1 cup of frozen slices to a shake in place of ice cream! Dip in chocolate for a treat, etc.
If they are really brown, peel overripe (one that is really soft and squishy) banana and place in a bowl in the freezer. Cover and freeze.
Posted in Daily Soul Fuel, Recipes, Tips and Tricks |
Tags: frozen bananas, How to freeze bananas, kitchen tips, tricks |
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Protein Packed Lemony Coconut Blueberry Cookies
So last night I had a sweet tooth pretty bad but it was one of those where I didn’t want chocolate or something like that but rather I wanted something light and ‘summery’. Now this could have been from the fact that the past 2 nights/mornings it’s been below 30F! Yes.. it’s May and I’m STILL scraping frost off of my vehicle!
Side message… “Dear Mother Nature, whatever people did, forgive them here in Pittsburgh because I’M TIRED of freezing my booty off at night and in the mornings! Have one of my cookies, k? They make everything all better!
K, thanks! Bye!
Love,
TKW!
Okay so now that I got that off my chest, my sweet tooth. So I was standing in my kitchen and literally just staring at some of the most gorgeous blueberries ever. We’re talking huge, fat, purple and super juicy. Now sure I could have eaten a handful of them but I wanted a cookie. Since I wanted ‘summery’, nothing speaks that more than the combination of lemon and blueberry. It’s bright and light. So I got to putting some ingredients together and tasted the batter (shush… I love cookie dough batter). It was super yummy but I wanted another level of flavor. I wanted to elevate it. Since I already had coconut oil it I decided to add some raw coconut flakes and coconut extract. People, people, people! I literally could have eaten that entire bowl of batter with a spoon. It was so good that I was super geeked out because if the batter tasted that good then I knew the baked cookie was going to be off da hook! LOL
When these came out of the oven…
I was in complete and utter love! ♥♥♥♥♥
They were soft but firm, the blueberries were just about to burst and the smell of lemon was so pungent that all you wanted to do was sniff in the aroma… well okay, after you stuffed 2 in your mouth!
I was so excited that I almost shared these early on Facebook but I waited. Trust me, it was TORTURE to with hold these!
I took a batch of these to work (gotta love co-workers who love samples). Now my friends are brutally honest and will tell me what they think. I had more people coming to my desk asking for another.. and another… and another! One offered to have my babies in exchange for more cookies! So yeah, these are a HUGE hit!
What I love most about these is that they are SUPER HEALTHY but they don’t taste it! You really want to feel guilty about eating cookies but with these, you don’t have to! They are packed with protein and yummy good stuff!
You’re gonna fall in love with these gorgeous summery cookies! These are PERFECT even for bridal showers, wedding showers, cookie tables and graduation parties!
| Protein Packed Lemony Coconut Blueberry Cookies |
- 1 cup coconut oil, softened (but not melted)
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar or 5/8 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
- 2 eggs or 6 Tbl egg whites
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup Syntrax Micellar Creme Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups rolled oats, not steel or instant
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups dried blueberries
- 2 Tbl lemon zest
- 1 Tbl lemon juice
- 3 Tbl milk
- Coarse sanding sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened coconut oil and sugar until creamy/fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, lemon juice, milk and coconut extract. Mix well to incorporate scraping sides down.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, Syntrax Micellar Cream Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder, baking soda and salt.
- Turning your mixer speed to the lowest setting, slowly add in the flour mixture.
- Mix just to combine and turn off the mixer.
- Scrape down the sides and the paddle attachment.
- Add in the oats, coconut flakes, dried blueberries and lemon zest until everything is well combined.
- The mixture should be tacky to the touch and feel moist but not wet. It should hold it’s shape.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape off the paddle.
- VERY gently fold in the fresh blueberries. Be sure not to break them otherwise you’ll end up with purple cookies. If you find it’s too difficult, scoop out your dough and gently press some blueberries into the dough trying to cover them slightly.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 Tbl), place the dough 2” apart. You should be able to get 12 on a standard sized pan.
- Slightly press down just to remove that ‘cookie hump’.
- If desired sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden brown and the tops, when pushed, have a slight give. Do NOT overbake these.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for no more than 1 minute on the pan.
- Using a spatula, carefully remove them from the tray onto a cooling rack. They will seem soft at first but they will firm up.
- Store in an airtight container.
If desired you could drizzle some melted white chocolate on top for garnish.
Baked Pepperoni Pizza Egg Roll Cheese Sticks
However…cause there is always a however with me, my thighs love them even more. *hangs head in sorrow*. See traditional cheese sticks are breaded and deep fried to a golden brown with just a teensy hint of cheese starting to show.
But… deep fried is something I avoid at all costs. Sure there are ‘healthier’ oils but the vast majorities of restaurants out there don’t use the healthier oils to fry in. It’s not cost effective for them.
Now I’ve made them baked a bajillion times and they are truly awesome but I wanted to mix it up. Mostly because I wanted pepperoni with them. See when my family owned a pizza shop we used to get these things called ‘Pizza Sticks’ in that were cheese sticks but had chunks of pepperoni and stuff in them. They were as sinful as sinful could get. I wanted THOSE! Now with baking them with a traditional breadcrumb breading it’s pretty difficult to get it to work. I have done it but honestly it’s time consuming and a veritable P.I.T.A. So as I was rummaging in the fridge I found a package of egg roll wrappers. And since you all know how much I LOVE those little things based on the number of ‘egg roll’ recipes I have on here I decided to give it a shot.
Honestly, these went together really easy and were baked in no time. So let’s get to the good stuff… TASTE!
Seriously there were really, REALLY good! Like I preferred the super crispy ‘shell’ of the egg roll over traditional bread crumbs. Plus it allowed me to incorporate pepperoni in it (BONUS!). The cheese was all ooey gooey inside, the pepperoni hot and the shell was super crunchy! I literally made these 4 days in a row! Plus the best part, they are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY less fattening than traditional ones. You can leave out the pepperoni or use a turkey lower fat one if you wish. All I know is right now my stomach is growling and I’m off to make me a few of these puppies!
| Baked Pepperoni Pizza Egg Roll Cheese Sticks |
- 4 low fat mozzarella string cheeses, cut in half, width-wise
- 8 slices of sandwich pepperoni
- 1 Tbl plus 1 tsp pizza sauce
- 8 Egg roll wrappers
- Cooking Spray
- Additional pizza sauce for dipping
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.
- Next lay an egg roll wrapper down to where it is in a diamond shape and lightly brush both sides with water. These are often a bit dry so if you do not moisten it, they will crack when you try to roll them.
- Lay down a slice of pepperoni not quite in the middle of the wrapper but rather in the lower third of the wrapper.
- Next top with a slice of cheese.
- Spoon on a 1/2 tsp of pizza sauce over top the cheese.
- Begin rolling by taking the bottom and ‘tucking’ under the mixture.
- Bring in the sides and then continue rolling. I tend to take a dab more water to ‘seal’ the edges when I get to the end.
- Set aside and repeat for the remaining wrappers.
- Lightly spray the entire egg roll with cooking spray and set on the cooling rack.
- Bake for 6 minutes (or until the top is lightly golden brown), flip, spray again and bake for another 5-8 minutes until golden brown and crispy. The trick is to get them crispy right before the cheese starts to melt out.
- Transfer to a plate and serve with warmed pizza sauce.
