I decided to kick off my Christmas season cookie baking by trying something new this year, which actually wasn't cookies at all -- Bacon Peanut Brittle! I found the recipe on, of all places, the Mint.com blog, a blog which has nothing to do with lamb chops or mojitos, but rather personal budgeting. Bacon peanut brittle promised to be a low cost holiday treat, and while it didn't require any fancy ingredients, it did require some close attention.
This was my first time making brittle, or any kind of homemade candy, but everything was going smoothly -- I was fascinated to watch the corn syrup bubble and the heat on the candy thermometer rise... but apparently I was a little more fascinated by the scheme unfolding at the hands of Little J, Vanessa and Juliet on Gossip Girl to dethrone Serena as queen of the UES, because the candy got a little scorched in the saucepan.
That explains why it's so much darker than the photo on MyMansBelly.com. If you're the kind of person who likes their bacon extra crispy, or their drip coffee from Starbucks, you might still like my brittle. I know I'll still eat it. But maybe I'm best off sticking to safe standards like my Christmas Balls.
