Disclaimer: This post should have gone up on Friday…but writing it on the way to Chicago for a weekend full of party….I was otherwise occupied and didn’t pull it off.  Keep reading because it is a truly delicious one this week.

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is a politically incorrect statement.  In fact, its just plain wrong since I’m fairly convinced my heart and stomach are integrally connected. I don’t want discriminate in my cooking, however, the salty sweet love child that I cooked up before Christmas has “dude” written all over it.

Chocolate chip cookies with pecans and bacon– the recipe is a powerhouse and vaults the common CCC into haut cuisine territory.  In addition to its inherent deliciousness, the bacon acts as a flavor amplifier, much like vanilla.

I am only slightly embarrassed that I jumped on the Bacon Bandwagon, but at rate these cookies were devoured, there is clearly a good reason this food fad cropped up. Just in case you were curious, “Bacon mania” has its own Wikipedia page.

This cookie is the perfect companion to this weekend’s college football bowl games.  So drink your champagne tonight and when you need that big brunch tomorrow, (and maybe a bloody mary,) save some of the bacon for these bad boys.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans and Beacon Bits

Recipe adapted from Susan Russo for NPR

5 strips bacon (don’t you dare touch the reduced fat slices)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (may I suggest Ghirardelli?)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, cook up that bacon, turning several times until browned and delicious, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool, then chop finely.

In a big bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars on high until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla mixing until blended. Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches, beating until just incorporated and dough is uniform. Finally add the bacon, chocolate chips and pecans. Now (this is very important) taste it.

Plop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared pans 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, until edges are brown.

Cool and enjoy with milk. No, forget the milk, on New Years Day you’re going to want to enjoy these with a good dark beer.

On that note, Happy New Year, and Go Northwestern Wildcats!