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bacon shortbread cookie recipe

Bacon Shortbread

3.85 from 26 votes
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Protein: Pork
Course: Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 package ButcherBox bacon Cooked crispy, cooled, and chopped coarsely, or approx. 1 cup chopped crispy bacon.
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter at cool room temp (pliable but not too soft)
  • 4 tablespoons bacon fat, leftover from cooking
  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper optional

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter, bacon fat, and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-4 minutes. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixing bowl and beat at low speed until barely mixed, there will still be some flour visible. Add the bacon pieces and continue mixing on low speed until just combined.
  • Heat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Now it is time to form your shortbreads, and this is a forgiving dough, so feel free to get creative!
  • If you prefer a neat and precise edge, or fun shapes of shortbread, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to approx. ½ inch thick and cut to your desired shape and size. Scraps can be re-rolled.
    bacon shortbread dough
  • If you like larger, more traditional shortbread wedges, you can pat into rounds about ¾ of an inch thick and score with a fork into break-apart wedges.
  • Our preferred method is also the easiest, just roll into a log shape and chill for at least 2 hours, and then slice off round cookies. You can make these large rounds 2-3 inches in diameter or roll them small for little bite-size snack cookies about an inch wide.
  • Keep cookies one to one and a half inches apart on the baking sheet, they don’t spread too much. Chill on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes minimum or up to 24 hours. This is a very important step, as you want the fat to be solid before baking, otherwise, it will melt out of your shortbread and make it dry and crumbly.
    bacon shortbread dough on pan
  • Bake for 10-18 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. They should be lightly golden brown on the edges. Cool on the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer from the pans directly to the rack to finish cooling. They will last up to two weeks in an airtight container, or up to three months in the freezer.

Notes

NOTE: Leave the bacon cut fairly coarse for shortbreads that have larger pieces of bacon or, chop fine for more bacon-forward flavor in every bite.
If you are serving as a cookie, they are fun dipped in dark chocolate or drizzled with a glaze made of maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar. Feel free to sprinkle chopped nuts on the chocolate or glaze while it is wet. Pistachios add color, honey roasted peanuts add some sweet crunch, or even smoked almonds can amp up the already smoky flavor. These are also great as slightly sweet crackers that go beautifully with soft creamy cheeses or with cheese spreads
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