Everything’s coming up Milhouse, err, Bacon!

This past week in the realm of bacon has been fantastic.  I scored another deal on Maple Bacon Coffee from Boca Java, so I ordered more; my husband actually thanked me for my fascination with the Meat Candy, as he hasn’t eaten so well, in well ever (he’s been my guinea pig on all of my bacon-inspired recipes, and is apparently really upset about that); this little blog here has gotten a little cult following from all over the world, including Australia, Germany, UK and Estonia; and to top it all off, my awesome cousin Heather sent me an Bacon Care Package, full of bacon candy and bacon oral health tools (floss and toothpicks).  Everything’s coming up Milhouse, err, Bacon!

So the care package got me thinking about all the weird bacon novelty products out there.  For me, it all started when friends of ours gave us Maple Bacon Lollipops for Christmas one year.  At first I was taken aback…I mean, candy bacon?  How good could it be?  Since that little taste of salty/sweet goodness, I was sold on the concept of Novelty Bacon.  Those lollipops have been the standard of Bacon Epic-ness to which I judge all other novelty bacon products.  The lollypops were from a company called Lollyphile.  Check them out!  However, not all novelty bacon products are created equal, as I’ve warned before.  Case in point, Bacon Candy Canes.  They neither taste like bacon nor candy.  They were a far cry from the lollypops, and just not edible in my book.

In response to the Bacon Lollipops we received from our friends, we in turn gave them a Bacon novelty item for Christmas…Mr. Bacon’s Big Adventure.  A meat-based Bacon Board Game. The concept of the game is to get your little Bacon character through Meatland and into the frying pan, navigating through the Mustard Marsh, the Wiener Wasteland, and the Sausage Sea.  It’s Meat-Candy Land!  Fun for all ages! 

If you’re a poet, or know one, you might be interested in the Bacon Addition of Fridge poetry.  Maybe you smell…try Bacon Perfume.  And if you just want a neat place to store all that excess cash you’re not spending on purchasing bacon, try a bacon wallet.

The novelty of bacon is fun, but it can’t hold a candle to the real thing.  This post’s recipe is one of my all time favorites.  It reminds me of my grandmother (as she made these for all holiday meals growing up).  I took a spin on her recipe and added bacon.  Hope you enjoy them.  The rolls alone, without the bacon are Out-Of-This-World!!!

Mimi’s Sweet Rolls with Bacon

You can use any regular dinner roll recipe you have, however, I like to stick to her original recipe.  She used Pillsbury’s Hot Roll Mix, found in your baking aisle at your local grocery store.  It’s a blue box with a Cinnamon Roll on it.

1 Box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix

1 Egg

2 tbsp softened butter

1 cup hot water (between 120 degrees and 130 degrees Fahrenheit)

4-6 slices of bacon

1 & ½ sticks of butter

1 cup of packed brown sugar

2 tbsp of honey

Cook the bacon.  Whether it be fried in a pan, baked in the oven, or nuked in the microwave….we need cooked bacon.  Once cooked, drain on a paper towel, and then break down into small pieces.

For the rolls, combine the flour mix with the packet of yeast, 1 egg, 2 tbsp of soft butter and 1 cup of hot water.  Mix to incorporate the dough then let it rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  While dough is resting, in a small saucepan, melt 1 & ½ sticks of butter.  Once melted, over medium heat, add brown sugar and honey, and bring to a slow boil.  It’s important to stir this gooey concoction frequently, as we do not want the sugar to burn.  You only need to cook it long enough to incorporate the butter, honey and sugar. 

After the dough has rested for 5 minutes, grease a muffin pan and put about a tsp of bacon pieces down, then a couple of tbsps of the caramel sugar topping, in the muffin tin.  Shape the dough into little balls, place on top of the sugary topping, cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Once the rolls have risen, then pop them into the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Once a nice golden color is reached on the rolls, pull them out and turn them over onto waxed paper or parchment paper to cool.  You may need to use a spoon to help get the bacon caramel goodness out of the bottom of the muffin tin, and just spread over the gooey part of the roll. 

I hope that these become a tradition in your home, as they are in mine!