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Oatmeal Cookies with Molasses & Bacon Fat

8 March 2015 3:43 pm

oatmeal-bacon-fat-cookiesBacon fat. In cookies. Why I have never done this before? It seems so obvious, especially with a cast of characters that is comfortable with the savory side of life: eggs, butter, flour, oats. I’m surely not the first person to think of this, as a quick Google will show you, but it seems it took the never-ending winter of 2015 to push me into Bacon Fat Cookieland.

For that, my friends, we must offer up thanks. Thanks for the 897th snowstorm of the year; thanks for the dead car battery that kept me from the farmer’s market; thanks to my over-stocked pantry, which still offers up oats and flour, sugar and butter, nuts and chocolate, when I haven’t shopped in well over a month. Because these cookies: these cookies are pretty damn good. Bacon-y, yes; but with all of the tang of a molasses cookie, the moist & chewy texture of a classic oatmeal cookie, and the goodies of a kitchen sink/compost/cowboy cookie. These cookies have it all.

I made mine big – almost 4 inches across – and I like them that way; the middles stay moist & chewy while the edges are crisp and crunchy. (I did try some smaller ones and I didn’t like them as much; it was difficult to get the middle to the same moist & chewy texture). I sprinkled some with flaky sea salt prior to baking, but it didn’t make a lot of difference in the finished product. I like them best warm from the oven, but they are still great the next day, and the bacon flavor even more prominent in the cooled cookies. They do best on unlined, ungreased cookie sheets: I tried some on Silpat and they were actually harder to get off. Mostly, I can’t sing enough praises of the basic oatmeal cookie blueprint at Leite’s Culinaria that I used to make these; please, do take a look. It’s a wonderful and stress-free way to make the cookies your own.

So, go ahead Winter 2015; give it your best shot. I’ve got bacon fat cookies on my side. #winning

Developed based upon the excellent Best Oatmeal Cookies Recipe at Leite’s Culinaria

oatmeal-bacon-fat-cookiesoatmeal-bacon-fat-cookiesOatmeal Cookies with Molasses & Bacon Fat

INGREDIENTS

oatmeal-bacon-fat-cookiesMETHODS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet: toast in oven until golden and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. You don’t have to toast the oats; but I always prefer them this way.
  2. In a large bowl, combine butter and bacon fat. Beat (with a stand or electric hand mixer, or by hand) until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add baking soda, salt and spices: beat until uniform. Add sugar and molasses: beat until well combined, scraping down the bowl at least once, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla: beat again until fluffy and uniform, scraping down the bowl, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add flour. Mix on low until fully incorporated. Mix in toasted oats (you may want to switch to stirring them in by hand). Add stir-ins (nuts, chocolate, etc.): mix until uniform.
  4. Drop by rounded 2-tablespoonfuls onto ungreased, unlined cookie sheets (I got 8 per sheet). Bake in the preheated oven until tops are no longer shiny and the middles feel just set, about 15 – 18 minutes (less time for smaller cookies). Allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Yields about 3 dozen, 4-inch cookies.

oatmeal-bacon-fat-cookiesOPTIONS

  1. I think you could easily double the bacon fat, i.e. 4 oz (½ cup) bacon fat and 4 oz (1 stick) butter. Any more than that and you risk changing the structure of the cookie, I suspect (thinner and more crispy; not necessarily a bad thing). You could also take these over the top by adding candied bacon to the “stir-ins.” Although, every time I candy bacon, I end up just eating it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
  2. I really love the “choose your adventure” oatmeal cookie guide from Leite’s Culinaria. If you want to swap out flours, sweeteners, fat, spices, or flavorings, be sure to check it out.
  3. These are strongly molasses flavored, so if molasses is not your thing, consider brown sugar or another of the “sweetener” options.

STORE

Loosely wrapped in a clean tea towel, at room temperature, for up to 2 days. After that, store in an air-tight container to prevent becoming stale.

SEASON

The Cruelest Winter.

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Posted by local kitchen

Categories: baking, chocolate, dessert, nuts, snack, whole wheat flour, winter, year round

Tags: , , , ,

20 Responses to “Oatmeal Cookies with Molasses & Bacon Fat”

  1. Oh wow these sound amazing. Let’s put bacon fat in everything. More things should be bacon-y. It’s the way forward.

    By themayfairy on 8 March 2015 at 4:15 pm

  2. They look wonderful, as do your photos! 🙂

    By there13 on 8 March 2015 at 5:14 pm

  3. Mmmm these sounds so good! I always keep bacon fat in my fridge, as it makes everything taste delicious. I never thought to use it in cookies, though. Now I can’t wait to try!

    By deliciouscityliving on 8 March 2015 at 7:34 pm

  4. What an intriguing recipe. But I’m of the opinion that bacon fat makes everything better 🙂

    By frugalfeeding on 9 March 2015 at 8:39 am

  5. This sounds like a great idea! Going to try these!

    By smmaroney on 9 March 2015 at 11:12 am

  6. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

    By varinaj on 9 March 2015 at 6:08 pm

  7. very interesting choice with the bacon fat. It adds a some interesting character to a regular oatmeal cookie.

    By stassoni on 9 March 2015 at 8:36 pm

  8. wow!!! Delicious, you guys are killing the bit, nice post.

    By Naijahomecaterer.wordpress.com on 10 March 2015 at 10:45 pm

  9. This looks amazing! OMG! I think my husband will be over the moon if I make these. Thanks for sharing, definitely following you! xx http://cleangreenstudents.com/

    By megsjo on 15 March 2015 at 8:11 am

  10. thank you very much 🙂 wow

    By اكلات حواء on 19 March 2015 at 2:58 pm

  11. Wow I really need to try these! They Look so good! 🙂

    By piafromthepott on 24 March 2015 at 5:50 am

  12. Oh my goodness. YES! AS if oatmeal cookies could get any better……

    By Aimee Wimbush-Bourque on 3 April 2015 at 8:40 pm

  13. Amazing recipe ! Can’t wait to try it

    By theeatinggirl on 8 April 2015 at 5:33 pm

  14. […] Oatmeal Cookies with Molasses & Bacon Fat from Local Kitchen […]

    By The Thursday Thirteen – 04/09/2015 on 9 April 2015 at 6:45 am

  15. Reblogged this on marcyfoodiemode.

    By marcyfoodiemode on 20 April 2015 at 7:56 pm

  16. I love this! I so want to try. I like that you added the addition of smoked paprika. Sound delish!

    By csmith2600 on 2 May 2015 at 2:33 pm

  17. il love these cookies! so delicious 🙂

    By stieneprinsen on 24 May 2015 at 1:27 pm

  18. […] had a Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese (see below), and followed that up with Oatmeal Cookies with Molasses & Bacon Fat. The cookies were actually really, really amazing, though not particularly bacon tasting (which […]

    By Baconfest 2015 | Is this thing on? on 26 May 2015 at 8:43 pm

  19. Reblogged this on pinterestviki.

    By pinterestviki on 16 June 2015 at 4:59 am

  20. ME FASCINAN LAS GALLETAS DELICIOSAS SALUDOS CORDIALES

    By lindassexis on 20 October 2015 at 4:32 pm

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