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I really like cookbooks, and food magazines. Aside from blogs, it’s how I learn new techniques, food seasons, and ways of experimenting with food that I would have never thought of.
Lately I’ve been reading about whole hog, and offal cooking. On one hand, it totally gives me the creeps, and I’ll have to work my way up to it, but on the other hand, I see brilliant chefs like Chris Cosentino do it beautifully, and I kick myself for being too scared to try.
I’ve only looked into whole hog cooking because I friggen love PORK. The story about what I did wasn’t offal at all, but I did try to make something weird, something I found in a cookbook that I picked up because I was interested in learning to cook with all parts of a pig.
Before I take you down memory lane, it’s best if you stare at the photo of bacon cooking. It’s really good for the soul.
Back to reality! So, I was flipping through The Whole Hog Cookbook which is really good, and really adorable! I had some bananas that were on their last leg, and I tried to figure out what to do with them. I didn’t want to do the normal banana bread thing, and I didn’t want to just throw them out either (that always feels like losing). I flipped through, and saw what I thought was the weirdest recipe – Bacon and Banana cookies. My gears started turning, and I was excited.
I made the cookies, and they came out beautifully, but Bryan and I couldn’t decide if we loved them or not. He seemed to eat a few more than me, but my biggest wish was that they were less bread-like, and more of a chewy cookie texture to offset the crunchy bacon. I’m a fan of chewy cookies that are one minute or so from being undone. The recipe called for both baking powder and baking soda, and I think I could have gotten a cookie that was a little less bread-like by using baking powder alone.
They did cause a liiiiiiiitle bit of a mess in the kitchen…
Pretty good looking! The recipe is noted below. This makes me wonder what other things I might be able to put bacon in. It also makes me thinking about coming up with a staple white cookies, and chocolate cookie recipe, like I did for my go to cake recipe.
[yumprint-recipe id=’8′]
3 Responses
OMG these made my mouth drool!!! Omg omg, this is amazing.. thank you for posting, and getting my sugar cravings at an all time high! 😀
Thanks, Sarah! The crazy thing about these was that they aren’t super sweet! They’re a bit savory, almost like biscuits, but they have a subtle sweetness about them.
OFFAL?? Please, no! LOL that stuff totally gives me the heebeejeebees. Yes that word is THAT long.
I don’t know if I ever told you this, but my family used to cook a whole hog every Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. We’d rent one of those huge trailer BBQ pits and park it in front of Kim’s old house in Lousiana. They’d start it at like 3 am (because dude, pigs are huge) and slow roast it until dinnertime. Some of the best memories I have with my dad are sitting in the trailer watching it cook, snuggled up in my pajamas and his leather jacket at about 5am watching the sunrise and sipping on hot chocolate. I never understood why they put the apple in the poor piggies mouth – still don’t. I couldn’t bring myself to eat it though, because all I could think of was Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web. 🙁 I’m sure it was really good though.
Your cookies LOOK really pretty. I’m diggin’ that photo most of all. But I don’t think I would dig the flava flave/texture.
Props to you for jumpin’ into it with enthusiasm and excitement. I’m way too chicken. I can barely bring myself to throw chopped onions in my classic bacon cheddar omelet. 😉
I’m super happy to see you blogging more often. I’ve missed it! Your photos are getting perf, too!