Chocolate chip pecan cookies…with bacon grease
Does the world really need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? I’d say probably not. But when someone mentioned to me that they made their chocolate chip cookies with bacon grease, well, my curiosity was piqued.
Do you cook with bacon grease? I use it all the time for savory applications—in my refried beans, in my cornbread, in my cream gravy and in my okra, to name just a few places this fat is most welcome. Why do I use it? Well, I just love how with just one dollop you can propel a dish from mundane to magical. But using bacon grease for something sweet? For some silly reason, this had never crossed my mind.
Now, if you’re not already saving your bacon grease and you’re a bacon eater—I highly recommend this practice. You know that coffee can your great-grandmother always kept by the stove? Yep, that’s where she stored her bacon grease, within easy reach for cooking. I’m not so brave, however, so I keep my bacon grease in a Mason jar in the refrigerator; I recommend you do the same. I reckon it keeps for a few months, though I use it so often I’ve never had the chance to test this theory.
As for the cookies, I’d wanted to make a recipe that I found in my great-grandma Blanche’s collection that called for buttermilk, which also seemed like an unusual ingredient. And as our great-grandmother’s were the arbiters of thrift, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that perhaps she made cookies with bacon grease as well.
After taking all sorts of liberties with the recipe, I ended up with a very interesting cookie. It’s full and round, which I attribute to the bacon grease, which burns at a higher temperature than butter so it’s less likely to spread and become crisp. And the center is almost cake like, which probably comes from the buttermilk. (Though I’m no scientist so please don’t hold me to these theories.)
I baked the first batch with chocolate chips and pecans, which was a classic combination. The second batch, however, I was out of pecans so I substituted crunch peanut butter instead and I think I liked this version even more.
So yes, this is a darn fine cookie, but I know what you’re really wondering: does it taste like bacon? Actually no. If you concentrate really hard you might detect some smoked-pork undertones, but for the most part it’s simply a soft, luscious cookie in search of a hungry mouth and a tall glass of milk. And I’m good with that.
Do you ever make sweet things with bacon grease?
Chocolate chip pecan cookies…with bacon grease
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bacon grease
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup roasted chopped pecans
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
- Cream together the bacon grease, butter, sugar. Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cayenne and add to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Beat until well incorporated and then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, place on parchment-sheet lined cookie sheets and bake for 17 minutes.
My mother made her molasses cookies with bacon grease and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful they were! I have never found a molasses cookie that I like as well. I made some last year and my daughter was transported back to her grandma's house!
This makes me think of a story that happened when I was a little girl. Growing up in a small Texas community, it was mainly Baptists and Church of Christs, with a few Methodists thrown in. My grannie was a hard shelled Baptist lady but with a very kind heart toward her grandkids. Anyway during revivals in the summertime, all the church ladies took turns having the preachers for lunch and supper. One day it was her turn, and she make a chocolate cake. I thought it was wonderful and quite tasty as most 8 or 9 y/o kids would have. She took a bite and said you could taste the hog lard !!! I thought so what and cut me another big piece. She sounded disgusted, she always cooked with lard but maybe was too hard on herself for too much "hog" taste coming through. Who knows? I never forgot that event and thought Grannie was way too hard on herself. I don't remember anybody turning the cake down.
Wow. I had no idea the bacon grease would give a better texture (at least to me – I prefer them on the chewy rather than crispy/flat side.) This is exactly why cooking (and baking) is so much fun. You never now what surprise ingredient will improve even an old classic like chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for sharing!
As a fellow Texan in NY, I cook with bacon grease pretty regularly, so I doubt I have anything to share you've never heard of. Do I really need to mention cooking eggs in it? No, of course I don't.
The only thing that comes to mind is something a little different I did just the other day when making your basic potato soup (scallions sauteed in butter, a little flour added for roux, add water, potatoes, salt, and black pepper and boil till the potatoes are tender) — I often add chopped bacon at the end but I was out, so I substituted bacon grease for the butter. It gave it a wonderful silky texture it doesn't normally have and great depth. I'll be making it that way from now on. Honestly, it was better than adding the bacon itself!
HT, this recipe sounds so tempting it has me up before the sun to fry up some bacon and bake cookies. IF I don't gobble up all of the bacon immediately, I'll crumble up a strip or two to toss in the batter.
Note: bacon might be a major food group, all by itself, kinda like chocolate & chiles