Roger Bacon Alchemy Brittle
Course: CandyCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes10
minutes30
minutesHere is another great recipe involving that versatile and most delectable meat…bacon and an historical figure’s name being used in vain as a play on words. Franciscan friar Roger Bacon in his infinite wisdom would likely have been appalled to know that I have borrowed his name and attached it to a recipe but, despite the weirdness he may also have understood my reasoning in this. Candy making, like cooking is not only an art but, a science. Recipes are fundamentally scientific equations with the elements (ingredients) being measured and mixed for optimal results. So perhaps…Bacon would see there is a philosophical and scientific side to my madness. The origins of brittle are not known but recipes from ancient China and the Middle East have been in use for more than 1000 yrs.
Ingredients
8 slices bacon
1/3 cup sugar
1/3/ cup corn syrup or maple syrup for that uniquely Canadian flavour
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp butter
Directions
- Roughly chop 8 slices of uncooked bacon and place into a skillet cooking over medium heat until evenly browned and crispy.
- Drain bacon pieces in a fine mesh sieve and place bacon bits onto paper towel to absorb any remaining fat.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- Stir together the sugar, corn/maple syrup and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy/deep-fry thermometer.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then continue to boil until it’s golden brown and it reaches 340 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
- Working quickly, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and baking soda until smooth (it will foam and bubble up). Stir in the bacon until evenly distributed amongst the sugar mixture.
- Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly smooth with a rubber spatula into a thin and even layer.
- Let harden uncovered at room temperature until cooled completely.
- Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- There are dozens of bacon brittle recipes out there. I have tried a few different ones over the years and I think my experiments with them have created a bonafide winner with the simplest of intentions…a good result and tasty end product. Remember the more you add to the mix, the more the results will differ. Trial and error is fine in the kitchen as long as you don’t poison anyone, burn the place down and are willing to cleanup the mess. Now my little alchemists of evol go out there and cook up some results.
