Valentine's Day Sweets: Spicy Bacon Brownies with Chocolate Glaze

Few things men are guaranteed to like: chocolate, bacon, and a spicy kick. This brownie has it all! I know what you're thinking...bacon?? But hold on, you don't really taste the bacon in it. It provides a tiny bit of salt and crunch that leaves you wondering why the brownie is so good. Plus you can get cool girl points for putting bacon in everything. Be careful with the spice, you only need a little bit of it, that will get balanced out by the rich chocolate.

Spicy Bacon Brownies with Chocolate Glaze

Adapted from Martha Stewart and Simply Scratch

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

12 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

 

 

Directions

 

Cook the bacon in a skillet, and cool. Break into small pieces, and set aside.

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 8-by-8 inch cake pan. Line the bottom with wax or parchment paper and press onto the bottom. Butter the paper.

 

Dice the butter into small pieces. In a double boiler, melt 8 oz chocolate and butter together over low heat. Turn off the heat, and add both of the sugars. Let cool slightly.

 

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (flour, cocoa and baking powders, salt, and cayenne). Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine completely. Add the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, and stir until just combined. Add the bacon bits.

 

Pour into the pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester crumbly but not runny. Cool to room temperature. In the meantime, make the ganache. Heat the cream in a small pan over medium heat. Place 4 oz chocolate in a bowl. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate, and stir until smooth. Cool until thickened, 30 minutes or so.

 

Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Flip the pan to remove the brownie onto a cutting board. Cut out heart shapes using 2- 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Spoon some of the ganache on top of the brownies, enough to cover the top, and let set. Serve the additional ganache on the side.

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!