Bourbon Bacon Maple Cookies

Maple Bourbon Cookies

This is the last of the bunch for my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies and, of course, I saved the best for last. This is a trifecta (in horse track speak) of goodies: Bourbon, Bacon and Maple Syrup. It has been a long year and a busy holiday season, but if you find the time to make these I hope you can sit back, relax and enjoy them to the fullest.Take time for yourself and those you love (and eat a few yummy cookies) as the year winds down. A very Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Prep Time: 24 hours

Cook Time: 12 hours

Yield: About 30 Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 Lbs Thick Cut Bacon

• 1/2 Cup Butter

• 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1 Egg

• 1 Tsp Vanilla

• 3 Tbsp Bourbon (Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark)

• 3/4 Cup Grade A Maple Syrup

• 3 Cups All Purpose Flour (plus extra if needed)

• 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger

• 1/4 Cup Raw Turbinado Sugar, to sprinkle dough tops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay Bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until bacon is extra crisp (bacon will be about 50% of its original size). Remove from the oven and lay bacon on folded paper towels on a plate to soak up oil and cool. Leave oven on while you’re making dough, but reduce heat to 350 degrees.

2. In an electric mixer cream Butter and Brown Sugar. Continue to mix until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add Egg, Vanilla, Bourbon and Syrup and continue mixing. Once thoroughly combined remove bowl from electric mix. In a separate bowl sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon and Ginger. Stir in flour mixture and continue stirring until all flour is thoroughly combined. Do not over mix. NOTE: The texture of the dough may vary with the Bourbon and the Maple Syrup, add more flour a few tablespoons at a time if dough seems too thin.

3. Crumble up cooled bacon and pat dry with paper towels to remove as much excess oil as possible. Add Bacon crumbles to dough and stir to incorporate into dough. Refrigerate dough for 24 hours (if time allows) so Bourbon has time to meld with the flavors. Otherwise, chill dough for a couple of hours.

4. The next day, after dough has chilled, spoon out tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle the top of each dough ball with Raw Sugar.

5. Bake in Preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until dry around the edges and a light brown.

6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, and keep in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Enjoy!