Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Bourbon Soaked Peanuts and Smokey Bacon (GF)

October 1, 2015

Do sweet, smokey, and boozy ingredients sound like a recipe for great cookies? Without hesitation, these cookies will make the Cookie Monster wild with anticipation. Irish Whiskey lifts the smokey character, while the peanuts, chocolate and bacon add to the cookie’s chewy texture. Take these treasures on outdoor trips: hunting, tailgates, kids sporting events, hiking, and/or fishing. They pack well and will deliver on every bite.

This recipe came from Joy the Baker. Her very entertaining and informative post can be found here. Joy adapted her version from Ruth Reichl’s The Gourmet Cookbook: More than 1000 recipes. Love Ruth Reichl.

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Makes 25-35 cookies

Instructions

PLAN AHEAD FOR SUCCESSFUL COOKIES

Toast the peanuts in a 375F oven for about 15 minutes.
Combine the peanuts and bourbon and let sit for a few hours or overnight. You can omit this step in you’d like.

MISE EN PLACE FOR COOKIE INGREDIENTS

Cook the bacon until crisp either on a lined tray in the oven at 375F or in a skillet.

Set aside to cool, then chop coarsely.
Set the oven temperature to 350F degrees.
Line baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
Weigh or measure the peanut butter and sugars in a mixing bowl.

Pull out the egg and let it warm slightly.
Measure the baking soda and set aside.
Chop a handful of chocolate pieces roughly.

ASSEMBLING THE COOKIE DOUGH

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the peanut butter and sugars until well combined and creamy.
Add egg and baking soda and mix until well combined.
Fold in cooked bacon, and the chopped chocolate. Drain the peanuts and add them to the cookie dough. Save the bourbon your evening cocktail.
At this point, the dough will appear crumbly, but will hold together when pressed firmly.

With a #40 scoop, scoop out walnut sized balls of cookie dough.
Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before placing on the cookie sheet.

Press the cookie slightly with either your finger or make marks in the cookie with a fork.

BAKE COOKIES

Bake in a 350F degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes or so until firm, then transfer to rack.

TIPS FOR COOKIE SUCCESS

When rolling the balls, make sure the dough is packed tightly so that there aren’t any air pockets. The firmer you pack the dough, the better they will bake, and hold together when they’re eaten.
Chop the bacon coarsely, but remember that you want the bacon pieces to be a little smaller than the chocolate pieces.

When baking, remember that since the only binding agent is egg, you want it to be cooked through. If after 12 minutes, the cookies feel soft to the touch, bake them for another 3 minutes. You will want them to be slightly firm when lightly pressed. As they cool, they will continue to firm up, and will remain chewy and soft inside.