Recently while I was at the Limelight Marketplace in downtown NYC, I realized that if you like bacon desserts, Limelight may be your new hangout.

I was enjoying my French Toast Cupcake with Bacon from CupcakeStop when a lady at the table next to me said, “Did you see the bacon brownie?” I turned instantly and squeaked excitedly “No, WHERE?!” She looked at me, eyebrows raised and obviously a bit confused by my outburst. You see, she was talking to her husband, not to me, a complete stranger stiting next to her who is bonkers for bacon.

I quickly explained, “I’m sorry! I’m eating a really good bacon cupcake and I write for Bacon Today so when you mentioned bacon, I lost my mind.” She laughed with me (not at me, I’m sure) and then gave me the scoop on where to find the bacon brownie.

She directed me to a dessert counter in the Limelight Marketplace’s Sweet Room called Mari’s New York. Mari’s specializes in tiny “artisanal” brownies, made from scratch, that you can eat in two bites. I thanked my new friend and rushed over to Mari’s counter and blurted out, “I hear you have bacon brownies!” The clerk said, “You heard right,” and handed me a bacon brownie. Squeeee(al)!

I in turn handed her $3 (which breaks down to $1.50 a bite) and took my treasure home. I ate it in 4 bites (I had to make it last) and realized that I would have paid more than $3 for it. DELICIOUS barely covers how this brownie tasted.

The choclate is delightfully rich and the bacon tastes fresh off the frying pan. The moistness of the brownie is a great contrast to the chewyness of the bacon. Sweet and salty, this brownie is terribly satisfying.

If you’ve been reading my articles, you know this is the point where I say, “Obviously I needed to know nore about this porky dish of delish!” So here is my interview with Mari’s New York:

ME: The Bacon Brownie is wonderful! Please explain what the ingredients are that make it so delicious.

MARI’S NY: The bacon brownie has homemade Niman Ranch bacon jam swirled in the batter and a sprinkling of candied bacon on top.

ME: JAM! I never would have guessed that in a million years. How did you come up with the bacon brownie?

MARI’S NY: I started with pureed cooked bacon mixed in but that wasn’t enough to sate my bacon needs – it needed actual pieces of bacon that you’d discover as you chewed. The candied bits on top gild the bacon lily, so to speak.

ME: I’ll second that statement. How often is this bacon brownie for sale at your shop in Limelight? Are they only available here?

MARI’S NY: We try and have enough for sale every day but we have been known to sell out. They are also offered at GRAB Specialty Foods in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

ME: What made you think, “I need to make a brownie with bacon in it”? Are you a bacon enthusiast?

MARI’S NY: I Love Bacon. Who doesn’t?

ME: For real. Who indeed?

MARI’S NY: Bacon goes with just about everything else, so I thought why not brownies? Ever since perfecting my bacon jam, I’ve been adding it to anything and everything at home.

ME: You are my kind of people. So my appetite needs to know if you have any brownies in the future that might contain bacon?

MARI’S NY: Maybe. One thing’s for sure, there will be other bacon offerings at Mari’s New York.

ME: YAY!

– Jennifer Eolin

When faithful Bacon Today reader Alana Muir visited family members last fall in Duluth, Minn., she had a near-religious experience while dining out. And no, it didn’t involve Norwegian-style Lutefisk, that air-dried whitefish loved by the Norwegians and Swedes who settled in Minnesota.
So what was the focus of Muir’s spiritual moment, even though she didn’t get to try the dish? Look no further than The Duluth Grill, a family-owned eatery in town that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh, and a little dessert called the When Pigs Fly Sundae.
But what does this have to do with bacon, you ask? Easy: the When Pigs Fly Sundae a delicious dessert built with three scoops of vanilla ice cream, crispy applewood-smoked bacon, caramel, hot fudge, saltine crackers and a cherry. The dish costs about four bucks for a sweet-and-salty finale to a satisfying Duluth Grill meal.

We’d order that in a minute, but Muir lives in Scotland, which is a little far for takeout ice cream, no matter the bacon content. That’s why you should take time when cruising through Minnesota to check out the restaurant’s site to see what looks good. You might want to call ahead while you’re at it and mention the When Pigs Fly Sundae. On its own the sundae might make the trip worthwhile, although we think the list of burger options might also get us there.
So thanks, Alana, for alerting us to this bacon-fueled dessert. We hope you’ll come back and order a When Pigs Fly Sundae so you can let us know what you think. Now, how far is it to Duluth…

I have a soft spot for confections and (obviously) bacon. So when you combine the two, my head explodes and I have to write about it.

I’ve mentioned it before, I’m a big fan of Twitter. I’ve been introduced to companies I never would have heard of without it. And one of those companies is CupcakeStop. 

CupcakeStop opened in 2009 (by owner Lev Ekster) in NYC and this food truck is bascially heaven on wheels. It tools around NY and serves up different varieties of “handmade made from scratch” cupcakes everyday. It also has a cupcake stand sans wheels at the Limelight Marketplace  on 6^th and 20^th. And it’s there that I tried the French Toast with Bacon Cupcake. Squeeee(al)!

Okay. This cupcake is PERFECTION. I’ve tried other bacon confections and even tried to make one myself but this one takes the cake. (Yes, I also enjoy a good pun in addition to bacon.) The maple french toast flavor is subtle without being overly sweet nor does it overpower and the saltiness of the bacon. And this bacon is GOOD. Chewy, thick and present. It doesn’t tease, it doesn’t overwhelm, it subtly says, “Hi, I’m porky goodness, what’s your name?”

Obviously, as any good bacon reporter is want to do, I had to ask CupcakeStop more questions about their delicacy.

ME: So tell me, how did you come up with a French Toast with Bacon Cupcake? How many recipes did you try before coming up with the final product?

CupcakeStop: Because our baker Chris Mitchell is a true southern boy with an affinity for bacon, he decided to create this flavor. We like to think of it as the perfect breakfast cupcake. We went through approximately 8 different variations before coming up with the final product.

ME: This is truly the best bacon cupcake I’ve tasted. What are the key ingredients in your cupcake? What is the frosting made out of?

CupcakeStop: Thank you! The key ingredient is Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, that is then caramelized with pure maple syrup and vanilla sugar. The frosting is a buttercream infused with cinnamon.

ME: Well the thought and care that you put into this cupcake shows. I’m sure these cupcakes sell quite well.

CupcakeStop: They sell very well. We only make a limited quantity of them so when they do become available, our customers go crazy. However, they are rarely requested for the Bar Mitzvahs we cater.

ME: HA! I’m sure. How often are they on your rotating menu?

CupcakeStop: They appear on the menu approximately two times per month.

ME: Are the bakers at CupcakeStop bacon enthusiasts?

CupcakeStop: The entire staff loves bacon!

ME: I knew you were good people! So I HAVE to ask, anymore bacon cupcakes in CupcakeStop’s future? And if so, when?

CupcakeStop: Absolutely, we just can’t divulge that information yet. All I can say is that we are currently developing new bacon themed flavors.

ME: Yay! Love it! How can someone who doesn’t live in NY or NJ get to sample your French Maple Cupcake with Bacon? Do you take special orders for specific flavored cupcakes?

CupcakeStop: We don’t offer this cupcake for nationwide shipping, yet.

ME: Last question, any expansion plans?

CucakeStop: Yes! We are currently looking into new locations in NYC and a few out of state as well.

You can follow CupcakeStop on Twitter and on Facebook! And as always, enjoy!

They’ve always said that the easiest way to a lover’s heart is through their stomach. So it is with today’s latest trend, where pork passionate “paramours” please one with the gentle heat & sweet of a salty and sultry, tantalizing treat of taste-bud temptation.

Were talking about chocolaty caress of freshly dipped flesh, bacon that is … and it’s the latest rage in “Elite Epicurean Eroticism” as lovers willingly surrender themselves to the appetizingly ambrosial allure of today’s acknowledged and approved aphrodisiac of the aficionados …chocolate dipped bacon.

The amazing thing is that it’s so very simple to prepare and enjoy.

Simply cook the bacon till firm, but not brittle while slowly heating a fine chocolate to the point of melting, just like the will power of that very “special someone” whom you plan to enjoy this intoxicating and feverishly famished flesh-fest with.

Remember to drain and pat off any excess grease and allow to cool enough to avoid any injury when these sheets of sweet and salty sizzle are dipped in the luxurious luster of love and lust’s number 1 accomplice, a good quality, fine chocolate, warmed up slowly in a fondue pot or “double boiler” and relaxed just enough to allow it to voluntarily give up it’s existential essence with ease and ecstatic enthusiasm.

It truly takes two to tango … so slowly and playfully take turns teasingly and pleasingly feeding one another this sumptuously satisfying sensation and make a playful dance of it. You won’t be disappointed, we guarantee it!

Bon Appetit!

As you know, we here at “Bacon Today” pride ourselves on consistent ability to always be 3 or 4 steps ahead of the game when it comes to everything worthy of being known in the wonderful world of bacon.

Clearly one of our huge advantages in being able to stay well ahead of the game is the very positive, close-knit relationship that we have with out loyal, long time readers and friends.

Here’s a perfect example of that personal “heads up” connection that keeps us on the cutting edge whenever anything of note is about to, or has just taken place, anywhere on the planet, that involves gourmet bacon.

Here’s an important communiqué’ that just came into us from our good friend “Doctor Atomic” regarding his latest and possibly greatest creative, culinary concoction from his esoterically eclectic laboratory deep within his mysterious, secret lair.

This is the good Doctor’s story, as expressed in his very own words:

“I make ice cream at home and a friend requested a Bourbon and Bacon flavor from me. After thinking about it for awhile what I came up with was Butterscotch and Bourbon Ice Cream with Bacon and Butter Toffee chips.

I started by making a reduction of Markers Mark Bourbon and Butterscotch. I’ve tried baking Bacon before, but I find that good old fashioned frying in a pan gives the best result.

The rest was normal fair ice cream base, eggs, milk, cream and sugar, all organic. I do heat my base to make a custard. Once I had incorporated the syrup and base I put them in the fridge to cool over night, as well as the now fried and chopped bacon.

The Toffee chips went into the freezer. The next day the mixture went into the ice cream maker. The bits were added near the end. With the Bourbon I wanted to give the ice cream a good amount of time to set so it was placed into the freezer overnight.

The next day we enjoyed the result! The flavors came out in layers. The first thing you taste is the slight bite of the Bourbon followed by the sweet of the Butterscotch. The chewy Bacon then jumps to the front with it’s smoky and saltiness followed closely by the crunchy sweet of the toffee.”

Doctor Atomic – Keeping the world safe for Ice Cream

Faithful reader Jack Nixon wrote to us at Bacon Today after he and his fiancée embarked on an outing to Ocean City, N.J. Let’s just say the lovely couple told us about something that we find much more exciting than beaches, boardwalks and salt-water taffy.

Of course, we know the Jersey shore is both a beautiful vacation spot as well as inspiration for one of the most artistically significant television series of all time. We get that. But Jack found something we find far more appealing: Chocolate-covered bacon.

That’s right. You heard us correctly. Chocolate-covered bacon. Jack wandered into a local candy shop and discovered this seaside surprise.  Here’s a photo that proves Jack wasn’t suffering a post-sunbathing delirium from too much time on the beach.

We’re unsure how many Bacon Today readers visit Ocean City during an average summer, but we bet Jack and his fiancée are far from alone. That’s why we wanted to spread the word about the modern wonder that is chocolate-covered bacon.

But how does it really taste?

Here’s how Jack describes the candy-covered treat: “The bacon was nice and crunchy and the chocolate was delicious!”

Sure it was, Jack. Now, please be a kind reader and send us a sample

Here’s what we can tell you about this guy Pete: He’s a 20-something dude. He likes to bake stuff. He also loves bacon, apparently.

Just look at this for a minute and tell us what you think. And no, we won’t replace your keyboards when they fail after you spill your drool on them.

We love what Pete does here, and we especially dig his photos and general blogging effort. But we must ease his fears that the so-called bacon trend may be “waning,” as he says.

Listen, Pete: It’s not waning. It has never waned. Bacon does not wane. For as long as the glorious pig has roamed the Earth, and as long as pork fans has savored the art of butchery and slow roasting, bacon has stood the test of time. And we believe it always will.

At any rate, Pete, we appreciate your shout-out to our little corner of the online universe. Rest assured, we’re reading. And please feel free to send us a few dozen of those bacon chocolate chip cookies with candied bacon. We probably need to ensure they’re as good as they look.

Pork belly lovers who also seek fine chocolates can unite. The online specialty shop chocolate.com blends the best of both worlds—excellent small-batch chocolates and sweet, sweet bacon…often in the same bite.

Chocolate.com is the online stop for artisanal chocolate gifts from top chocolate vendors around the world. The site brings together the chocolate chef and the gift buyer to form an online marketplace for consumers with discerning tastes for sweets and savory chocolates from small shops across the globe. These suppliers offer a product that is more distinctive and artistic than factory-made chocolate. And here’s a bonus: Some of the chocolates pack an extra punch with equally fine bacon!

Check out chocolate.com for some ideas on what to order for mom, your best friend, or maybe  for yourself the next time you’re looking for some great chocolate.

The site showcases everything from chocolate-covered popcorn to dark chocolate truffles. Both sound great to us, but what’s our favorite selection? It might just be “Pig Candy” from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates in New York. It’s nothing less than crispy fried bacon dipped in melted chocolate. Now how can you go wrong with that?

As so many of you already know, we sincerely value and appreciate our “human to human” personal connections and interactive relationships with our readers. We most definitely LOVE to hear from you when you have a fun, interesting, or just plan funny story or idea to share with the rest of us.

Here’s a really fun and “COOL” (pun intended) bacon  recipe idea that was sent in and shared with us by our long time friend, Shah Brionez of Syracuse, Utah.

Thanks Shah, you rock buddy!

Shah wrote:

“Frozen Banana Dipped In Chocolate And Bacon!

Long time follower, first time poster.

So my Brothers-in-Law (Brandt & Gavin Crawford) had this bright idea

yesterday.  We were dipping frozen bananas in chocolate then rolling

them in nuts and crushes Nilla wafers.  

We thought, why not Bacon!?

Let me say it was actually very good!  That salty from the bacon and

the sweet from the chocolate!

Just wanted to share.

You guys are awesome!  Love your blog.

Thanks,

Shah Brionez

Syracuse, Utah”

I am always approached with all things bacon, and I received a call from a company that produces fresh chocolates with unique flavor combinations using high quality, all natural ingredients. I will be honest that didn’t get my attention until she said, “It is our goal to bring cutting edge flavors and technologies to the chocolate industry, and deliver them to you as soon as they’re made.” And I said, “Yeah so?” and she said, well we have several new limited edition products including bacon covered chocolate.” Now she had my attention and I immediately ordered a box!

This company is called Luca Chocolate which is based in North Carolina. In speaking with them I learned that their chef and owner studied nutrition in college and went to the French Culinary Institute to study Classic Pastry Arts. The idea of LUCA Chocolate began officially in December 2006. What started off as a simple idea in the home kitchen and a lot of experimentation with many pounds of sugar, pints of cream and tablespoons of butter created a now successful business!

At this point I am sure each of you want to know what does chocolate taste like when paired with bacon? It’s pretty darn good. It’s sweet, and salty, and a little smoky and really something you might just need to try.

They offer several options including: Bacon Caramels: 4 of our signature caramels, topped with a crisp piece of bacon and covered in your choice of milk or dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. The box includes 8 pieces of chocolate covered bacon, 4 bacon caramels, and 2 bourbon and black pepper truffles. There’s also a big box (that’s one whole pound) with double the amount of chocolatey-bacon goodness.

The owner of Luca Chocolate said that she would rather have one amazing piece of chocolate than a whole box full of something mediocre. With my candies, I hope I can re-create that for someone else. I’m trying to find that balance between unique flavor combinations and classic ones. I don’t want them to be overpoweringly rich, but I’d like to find that a person savors each piece, instead of eating them quickly.

Well Bacon Freaks, if you like bacon like I do, this is a must try treat! Let me know how you enjoyed the bacon chocolate.

Be sure to check em out at:
http://lucachocolate.com/

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock
www.baconfreak.com