Chocolate Covered Bacon

Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies. ~ John Q.Tullius

I believe that give anyone anything covered in chocolate, and they will relish it, be it strawberries, eggs, bread, cakes, bacon, or anything else. One simply cannot resist the moment when the chocolate just melts in your mouth, and gives you a feeling of eternal bliss. I was not fortunate enough to taste chocolate covered bacon until now, but I have friends who had tasted these delicacies, and since that day, there was no end to their constant taunts about me not tasting this heavenly delicacy. Well, since I don't want you readers to suffer the same fate I did, go get your share from your nearest store now, and then let's learn how this mouth-watering dish is actually made.

Where Does it All Go Back To?

As you bite into your chocolate bacon strip, let's all thank the people of America who had come up with this idea of actually linking the two most favorite food items of the Americans, bacon and chocolate, and turning it into something even better. Every year, the Americans organize fairs where they serve bacon dipped in chocolate sauce. This dish has become so popular that it is sold as a specialty food all over America. It was served in the Minnesota State Fair as "Pig Lickers", and as "Pig Candy" in the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, California. The television show, Dinner: Impossible, had even hosted a show by chef Michael Symon, whose main goal in life is to turn the usual Boardwalk foods into a gourmet meal. An Atwood based luxury chocolate company, Vosages Haut Chocolates, markets chocolate bacon as "Mo's Bacon Bar". One strip consists of smoked applewood bacon, alderwood smoked salt, and along with that, either white or dark chocolate.

A Simple, Yet Delicious Recipe

Things required:

• Semi sweet chocolate morsels 1 bag (12 ounce).
• Uncooked bacon (1lb).

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet on a high flame and then add the bacon strips.
• Keep turning the strips (with tongs) till they turns crispy. However, if you prefer chewy over crispy ones, then remove the bacon strips earlier.
• Remove the strips from the frying pan. Then using a tissue to get rid of the excess oil.
• While you let the bacon strips cool down, fill a medium-size sauce pan with water and heat it over a medium flame.
• Now, on top of the medium-sized pan, you put in the chocolate morsels. Melt these chocolates. Keep stirring the chocolates so that they do not get burnt.
• Dip the now cooled bacon strips into the melted chocolate using a tong, and use a spoon to carefully even out the chocolate covering on the bacon.
• Once that's done, keep the strips on a waxed lined cookie sheet. Then keep them in the refrigerator and allow to cool for 15 minutes, so that the chocolate can set.
• Serve and enjoy the compliments.

(Also, if you love white chocolate, then you even sprinkle some on the bacon strips).

A Variation with Almonds

Things required:

• Thickly sliced slab bacon (1 pound).
• Milk chocolate (½ pound).
• Almonds, toasted ( ¼ pounds).

Directions:

• Heat your oven beforehand to 375 degrees F.
• Place the bacon strips on the sheet tray and cook until they are crisp. This will take about 25 minutes.
• In the meantime, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
• Dip the now crispy bacon strips in the chocolate and place them back on the sheet tray.
• Sprinkle the toasted almond (you can even use pistachios instead of almonds), and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Serve.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Bacon

Things required:

• Bacon slices (12).
• All-purpose flour (2 cups).
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (¾ cup).
• White sugar (2 cups).
• Baking soda (2 teaspoons).
• Baking powder (1 teaspoon).
• Sea salt (½ teaspoon).
• Eggs (2).
• Cold, strong brewed coffee (1 cup).
• Buttermilk (1 cup).
• Vegetable oil (½ cup).
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (1 teaspoon) for dusting.

Directions:

• Heat the oven beforehand to 375 degrees F. Place the bacon strips on a deep skillet or pan. Cook it over a medium flame till evenly brown.
• Crumble it and set it aside to cool.
• Stir the flour together with the cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt, all in a large bowl.
• Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil and keep stirring till it blends well. Put in ¾ of the bacon, keeping aside the rest to garnish your cupcakes. Put the batter into the cups needed for the cakes.
• Now, bake this in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool it. After that arrange them on a platter and frost it with your favorite chocolate frostings and sprinkle the rest of the bacon crumbles on it. You can also sprinkle cocoa powder.
• Serve.

You can also check out chocolate covered pretzels and enjoy it as a side dish. Hope you have noted it all down? Now what are you waiting for? Go get together all the above ingredients, and make your own chocolate covered bacon now, and treat yourself, and your family and friends to this mouth-watering dish.