Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Bacon .... again.

During the great "get this s&!t out of the house" movement this weekend, I paused and could hardly believe my ears.

I was listening to The Splendid Table on KUOW.

Sure enough, the second time it was mentioned, I did hear it correctly. Not only was Lynne talking about bacon. She was talking about truffles ... chocolate truffles. TOGETHER.

I give you the recipe that will be tried in the near future:

Makes 18 to 20 truffles

These addictive truffles were inspired by some served at the prestigious Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, a restaurant known nationwide for its innovative desserts. Whereas the chef there uses dry-roasted peanuts, I much prefer the large, toothsome, regular goobers I order routinely from Aunt Ruby's in Enfield, North Carolina (1-800-843-0105), and for even smoother and richer texture, I do add butter to the chocolate. If ever the affinity between bacon and peanut butter and/or chocolate were questioned, these truffles serve as undeniable proof. Stored in an airtight container, the truffles keep in the refrigerator up to about a week and are best served slightly chilled.

  • 6 slices lean streaky bacon
  • 4 ounces salted peanut (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  • Six 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup cocoa

1. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp, drain on paper towels, and let cool completely.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine the bacon, peanuts, and sugar and grind to a fine texture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the peanut butter, and stir till well blended and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill about 1 hour.

3. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter, place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill about 30 minutes longer.

4. Meanwhile, combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan and stir over very low heat till melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool till warm. Sift the cocoa into a bowl.

5. Coat the balls completely in the melted chocolate, dredge thoroughly in the cocoa, and store in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

1 comment:

Joel413 said...

For the love of all that isbaconnly holy, please make sure that I am at this momentous event to participate.