there’s bacon in that?!?

Remember my Maple-Bacon Cupcakes? They are SO good, that even skeptical Marissa fell for them. Well today we have another sweet item featuring bacon… toffee.  Trust me, it works. I’d heard of toffee with bacon before, but had yet to taste it. I’ve decided to give bacon peanut brittle a try. Trust me again, it’s good… I promise.

Bacon Pecan Brittle

1  1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
Pinch salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons maple syrup
4 slices maple bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat or spray generously with Pam and set aside.

Place pecans into a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until fragrant and lightly toasted. Pour in maple syrup and stir quickly until liquid is dissolved and pecans are coated with syrup. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Combine the sugar, honey, salt, and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved do not stir, but swirl the pan occasionally until the mixture reaches 325 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Caution- Keep an eye on the saucepan, this mixture boils over very easily, as you can see in the picture below, I didn’t keep an eye on it and…  Oh well, let my mistake help keep you from the same fate.)

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, baking soda, and butter.  The mixture will foam up in the pan. Separate the pecans by crushing them between your fingers and stirring them in, along with the bacon. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, tipping the pan in all directions to spread out thinly and evenly.

Cool completely and break or cut into chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 1 pound