Posts in sugar
tips & tricks: brown sugar bacon

breakfast is my number one meal time, if i didn't make that clear on tuesday. and wes and i make no secret of the fact that when we do open our restaurant it will be breakfast oriented. so it should come as no surprise that we eat a lot of bacon. 

but lately, wes has made a small tweak to our usual bacon practices that is an absolute game changer. one of the things about cooking that captured my heart is the crazy idea that you can add just a little bit of one ingredient to completely enhance and change the way something tastes. in this case, a little brown sugar makes already delectable bacon, irresistible. 

want to step up your bacon game? here is how. 

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat.

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sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. 

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cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. 

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remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

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xo, a

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat. sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

flourless chocolate torte

it is rare these days that i straight up steal a recipe from someone. even when it comes to baking. if i decide to go the more scientific route instead of straight up throwing things together and hoping for the best, i'll scour the internet for recipes close to what i'm hoping to achieve, and then i'll usually work out some combination of everything i found in order to please my own taste and desires. or in some cases, the tastes and desires of my clients. 

so to find a recipe that so perfectly nailed it on the first try was truly impressive. well done WELL PLATED. well done. i applaud your perfect (and really REALLY easy) recipe. you can't seem me right now, but i'm giving you a solid golf clap. 

i've already devoured my test run of this recipe and i'm contemplating making another run before i make it for this weekends baby shower. anyone want to come over and help me eat torte?

flourless chocolate torte
serves: 10-12 slices
prep time: 15 minutes
bake time: 30-40 minutes total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: 9 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped. 9 oz butter, cut into cubes plus 1 tbs to grease your pan. 1.5 cups sugar. 7 eggs at room temperature. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 tsp almond extract. powdered sugar for dusting. 9 inch spring form pan. parchment paper. heat safe medium bowl. larger mixing bowl. large pot of boiling water. fresh berries & whipped cream optional for serving.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. combine your chocolate and butter in a heat safe bowl. place your bowl over a pot of boiling water (creating a double boiler) and allow the butter and chocolate to melt, stirring to combine every minute or so once things start to melt. about 5 minutes. you can always take a shortcut and use the microwave (i don't have one so i don't really have a choice). 

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when the chocolate and butter are melted together, add in the sugar. 

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allow the batter to cool for a minute or two and then one at a time, start to add in your eggs. combining each one completely before adding the next. 

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when all the eggs are added, pour in the extracts and stir until the batter thickens and becomes glossy. 

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gently grease the pan and then place a 9 inch parchment round in the base of your pan. pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the torte is set and the center is just barely set (has a bit of jiggle in the middle). 

start checking on it right at 30 minutes to make sure it does not go over. remove the torte from the oven and allow it to cool a bit.

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gently dust the top with powdered sugar. 

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i added some blueberries on top as well. if you are adding whipped cream, wait till the torte has cooled completely. serve warm or room temperature. 

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xo, a

flourless chocolate torte serves: 10-12 slices
prep time: 15 minutes
bake time: 30-40 minutes total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: 9 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped. 9 oz butter, cut into cubes plus 1 tbs to grease your pan. 1.5 cups sugar. 7 eggs at room temperature. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 tsp almond extract. powdered sugar for dusting. 9 inch spring form pan. parchment paper. heat safe medium bowl. larger mixing bowl. large pot of boiling water. fresh berries & whipped cream optional for serving.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. combine your chocolate and butter in a heat safe bowl. place your bowl over a pot of boiling water (creating a double boiler) and allow the butter and chocolate to melt, stirring to combine every minute or so once things start to melt. about 5 minutes. you can always take a shortcut and use the microwave (i don't have one so i don't really have a choice). when the chocolate and butter are melted together, add in the sugar. allow the batter to cool for a minute or two and then one at a time, start to add in your eggs. combining each one completely before adding the next. when all the eggs are added, pour in the extracts and stir until the batter thickens and becomes glossy. gently grease the pan and then place a 9 inch parchment round in the base of your pan. pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the torte is set and the center is just barely set (has a bit of jiggle in the middle). start checking on it right at 30 minutes to make sure it does not go over. remove the torte from the oven and allow it to cool a bit. gently dust the top with powdered sugar. i added some blueberries on top as well. if you are adding whipped cream, wait till the torte has cooled completely. serve warm or room temperature.