Father’s Day Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

“Aw crap! It’s Father’s Day this Sunday?!” might be words that you’ve uttered this week. Yes, Father’s Day is coming ’round once again, and I beg you all to heed my warning: Your dad doesn’t want anymore ties (or dress socks)! We’re all guilty of it. Dad’s are hard to shop for. But (and I’d hate to be cliche) you know the age-old saying, “A way to a man’s heart…”

If my dad is anything, he is a sweets-lover. He’s been known to wash down dinner with a few (gigantic) pieces of cake. Last year, I finally took note of this and stopped rifling through god-awful printed ties, debating if Dad already had this or that stripe/color combo. I decided, instead, to send him some very special cookies. He really liked them, and I don’t think your dad would hate it if he got some of these from you, too.

Don’t worry if your dad doesn’t love the sweets so much. These cookies have something for everyone: peanut butter, bacon (and bacon fat!), chocolate…it’s a savory and sweet mouthful of goodness beyond comprehension. Wrap them up in some manly brown paper, and you’ve got yourself a gift that dad probably won’t expect, but will love.

Father’s Day Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

• 10 strips bacon
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pinches of chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped honey-roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cook the bacon over medium heat until very crisp (about 4 minutes on each side). Allow to cool on a plate lined with paper towels in order to absorb excess grease. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside. Crumble bacon into a small bowl, discarding the chewy bits. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and reserved bacon drippings on medium-high speed until smooth (1 minute). Beat in peanut butter for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until smooth (4 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy (2 minutes).

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in two additions until just combined. Stir in the peanuts, chocolate chips and bacon, reserving 1/4 of the chocolate chips and bacon.

Roll rounded tablespoons of the dough into balls, then place on a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven) and press reserved chocolate chips and bacon into the cookies. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

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