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MARCH/APRIL 2009
Sugar and Spice Make Everything Nice…And So Does Bacon!
By Sarah N. Balzac
Flavor combinations abound, and out of the thousands one can come up with, the sweet and salty one is a glorious winner. But it's only been in recent years that this combination has carried over into desserts.
Adding sea salt to caramel was the first bloom of the trend, and now salty savories such as crispy bacon are being added to chocolates; desserts, such as bread puddings, brownies, and cookies; and even ice creams.
It's no surprise that many sugar fanatics squirm at the idea of pork in their dessert, but think about it for a minute. Joel Stein from Time magazine says it best in his article titled, "What's Cooking? Bacon, for Dessert": "Bacon works in dessert for the same reason peanut butter works with chocolate and sea salt works with caramel. Salt brings out the depth of flavor in desserts (try a sugar-free brownie), and fatty foods are often cut by sweetness, like foie gras with Sauternes or fried chicken with honey."
Heston Blumenthal from London's The Fat Duck grandfathered this trend with his bacon and egg ice cream. Then Katrina Markoff, the creator of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, came up with Mo's Bacon Bar—a fantastic chocolate bar created with deep milk chocolate that is marked beautifully with applewood smoked bacon and alder wood smoked salt—bringing bacon in dessert to a wider audience. The trend has caught on and continues to be showcased in a variety of desserts.
The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, has served a bacon baklava. A sweet phyllo dough pouch is filled with a crumble consisting of crispy bacon, almonds, and dates. It's then topped with a maple, bourbon, and orange zest laced syrup. Atria in New York City currently serves a stellar butterscotch doughnut served with bacon powder and braised pineapple ice cream. But it's not just white tablecloth establishments that are buying into the trend. The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago has also jumped in by creating a bacon cupcake—a devil's food cake topped with peanut butter frosting, sprinkled with bacon crumbles, and decorated with a fondant Chicago hot dog. And Tee & Cakes in Boulder, Colorado, makes a maple cupcake garnished with chocolate ganache and applewood smoked bacon (pictured left). In New York City, you can head to the Dessert Truck and try their chocolate bread pudding with bacon crème anglaise.
Now many restaurants and bakeries across the United States are daring to create fantastic desserts incorporating the deep smoky flavor of traditional bacon.
Some of the flavors that naturally pair with bacon are chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, maple, and bourbon. I took this into account and decided to play in the kitchen. A few short hours later, I came up with a chocolate ice cream combined with toasted walnuts, a smoky caramel sauce, and candied bacon. I strongly suggest that you give bacon desserts a try before turning up your "snout" at the idea. Your journey can start by trying the recipe below.
Chocolate Ice Cream with Candied Bacon, Toasted Walnuts & Smoked Salted Caramel
Before you start making the caramel, you will want to have all ingredients measured and placed within reach along with any tools you will be using so that you can move quickly in order to prevent the sugar from becoming too dark and bitter.
Makes 1 quart
 Chocolate custard:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces chocolate, melted (I used a combination of milk and bittersweet chocolate)
1. Bring cream and milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat; let stand 1 to 2 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add a little milk mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Add mixture to saucepan, whisking constantly, and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats the back of the spoon. Stir in chocolate and immediately pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Cover custard with a piece of plastic wrap so it is directly touching the surface and let cool completely. Remove from ice-water bath and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Smoked caramel sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon smoked salt, finely crushed (see note)
Place sugar in deep saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil without stirring. When sugar starts to turn golden, swirl the pan to help distribute the color and heat. Boil until caramel is the color of a brown paper bag, carefully drop in butter; immediately stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add cream (be careful as the caramel will bubble very dramatically). Stir well and pour caramel into a thick glass container or ceramic bowl. As soon as the caramel is cool enough to be safe to touch, stir in salt. Add more salt if desired. (The smoked salt may not fully dissolve if the caramel is too cool.); cool completey.
Ice cream:
4 strips bacon
brown sugar (for sprinkling)
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Right before the bacon starts to brown and crisp, sprinkle with sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes, being careful not to let it get too dark or it will taste bitter. Remove from heat; place on paper towels to drain. Cool completely and crumble into small pieces. 3. Place walnuts in a skillet set over medium-low heat and cook until golden and fragrant, tossing occasionally. 4. Remove custard from refrigerator. Place in the bowl of an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturers directions. Place ice cream in a chilled bowl and stir in bacon, walnuts, and desired amount of caramel. Place in airtight container and freeze at least 6 hours before serving.
Editor's Note: Smoked salt can easily be found at specialty food stores. You can also buy it online at SaltWorks. Coarse sea salt can be used as a substitute. |
