Bacon Spice Pork Chop Cookies

This Instructable outlines how to make

Bacon Spice Pork Chop Cookies

In this unique cookie, bacon drippings are used in the place of shortening or butter. This leads to a subtle bacon smoky & saltiness, which is accented by the addition of ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves; like a glazed ham cookie. Complimenting the "meat" in this cookie is maple, in the form of maple sugar cookie dough used to construct the bones and fat of the "pork chop". This cookie blurs the line between sweet and savory leading to a dessert that is meaty enough for a meal.

Step 1: Ingredients

Bacon Spice Cookie Dough
(modified from Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan)
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cloves
½ cup bacon fat (rendered from ~1 pound of bacon)
1 egg
7 – 8 drops of red food coloring

Maple Sugar Cookie Dough

¾ cup butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour

Step 2: Render the Bacon Drippings

It's best to use a better quality bacon, such as one from a local or artisan butcher. This bacon is typically not injected with salted brine, which can lead to excess water in any collected fat.
Conversely, you could also cure and smoke your own bacon.

Place bacon slices into several casserole dishes and bake at 350F for ~30 - 40 min or until the bacon is very crisp and it appears that all the fat has been rendered off. This crisp bacon is no longer needed for this recipe but is conveniently ready for consumption.

Pour the bacon drippings into a cup and place it in the refrigerator to solidify.

Step 3: Make the Dough

Make the two cookie doughs separately.

Bacon Spice Cookie Dough
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the fat, egg, and food coloring and mix until a slightly wet dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

*For extra bacon-goodness, candied bacon can be crumbled into the cookie dough (We forgot to add this into the dough for this Instructable).

Maple Sugar Cookie Dough
Mix together the flour and sugar. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and eggs and mix until a slightly tacky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Step 4: Draw the Pork Chop

To design the pork chop, refer to an actual pork chop; not only will this allow the dimensions to be better studied than from a photo, this delicious specimen can also be cooked up as a post cookie baking meal.

Try to get your pork chops from a local butcher. These guys will be able to cut your chops as thick as you want your cookie to be.

On a piece of paper, draw a schematic of a pork chop. Cut out the drawing to make a pork chop cutout.

Step 5: Construct the Chop

Roll out the dough to the desired thickness (~1 inch) and place the cutout pork chop design onto the dough. Use a paring knife or pizza cutter to cut out along the cutout.

Put the "meat" and the "fat" together to make what look to be cartoon pork chops.

Place the cookies onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Step 6: Bake the Bacon Pork Chops

Fifteen minutes before the cookies are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F.

Bake at 375F for 30 - 35 min.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy the subtle smokiness of the bacon, with the sweetness of the maple, and the punchiness of the spice!