Candied bacon and nuts. โMan Candyโ. It couldnโt possibly be called anything else. Ridiculously addictive. Easy to make. Be careful who you make this for!
It is rare to meet a bloke whoย doesnโt love bacon. It is like men are genetically programmed to be obsessed with bacon. And beer, for that matter. Andย beef. Did I just figure out the holy trinity for men? Beer, Beef and Bacon.
This candy doesnโt have beef or beer in it. I did make a version with beer, butย it was more effort to make, you couldnโt actually taste the beer in it and it hadย a much thicker candy coating which I thoughtย made it far too sweet.
This one is super simple to make. It is actually a recipe by Sunny Andersonย (an American celebrity chef)ย which she calls Bacon Bark. I changed the name because after 3 attempts to make it, it never came out like โbarkโ and I am not convinced it could because there is simply not enough toffee/candy to spread and hold the bacon and nuts together. It does stick together in chunks, but not like โbarkโ.
So I thought candy was a more suitable name for it. Itโs like candied nuts โ but with bacon added. You can break it upย completely, all leave it in bigger chunks (which I prefer).
The ingredients are exactly the same as Sunnyโs recipe butย I rewrote it with moreย instructions so you can benefit from my failed efforts. The first time I made it, it didnโt come out like candy, more like a sticky caramel. This was because there was too much bacon fat, so I added the step to drain excess fat off the baking tray before adding the nuts. The second time I made it, I didnโt useย baking / parchment paper which the recipe said was optional, but itโs definitely necessary because otherwise the toffee gets stuck on the baking tray.
Valentineโs Day is around the corner. Homemade Man Candy. Nowย thatโs a priceless gift!
โ Nagi
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Man Candy: Candied Bacon and Nuts
Ingredients
Candied Bacon
- 6 slices centre cut or middle bacon (about 200g / 6 oz) (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (light or normal)
- 1/2 tsp paprika (Note 2)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (Note 2)
- 1 lemon , zest only
- Pinch of salt
- Black pepper (3 grinds)
Candied Nuts
- 1 cup pecans , roughly chopped
- 1 cup walnuts , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (light or normal)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp paprika (Note 2)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (Note 2)
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- Black pepper (3 grinds)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper (parchment paper).
- Cut the bacon into 1.5cm / 0.6" pieces (remove rind if it has it).
- Combine with remaining Candied Bacon ingredients in a bowl and use your fingers to coat the bacon.
- Combine the Candied Nuts ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
- Spread the Candied Bacon onto a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, or until the sugar is bubbling and the bacon is starting to turn brown (i.e. almost cooked).
- Remove the bacon from the tray using a slotted spatula (so you don't get too much bacon fat) and transfer it into the bowl with the nuts. Mix to combine.
- Use a spatula to scrape and pour the excess oil off the parchment paper (this is what I did).
- Pour the nuts back onto the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once at half time.
- Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Leave for at least 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
- Break the candy into chunks. To store, place into an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. (Note 4)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
ย
This is pure testosterone joy! Love all the goodies in this candy and will be enjoying this as well as my man! !
He he I love it! testosterone joy โ ha ha ha!! Thatโs exactly what it is!! ๐
Wow โ these sound incredibly flavorful. I go weak in the knees for anything with bacon, but thisโฆ this is like bacon trail mix! How cool is that!? Iโm definitely taking this on our next hike!
OMG Bacon TRAIL MIX!! Loo, youโre the hiker here โ what to form a partnership? Iโll cook, you distribute!! He he!
Gosh, this looks great! Definitely making this one! Canโt wait.
Thanks Shinee!!
Looks delicious to me and I think it would get gobbled up hereโฆour motto is bacon makes everything taste better!
Iโm with you there Michelle โ bacon DOES make everything taste better!!
I LOVE this recipe {and your title}! My husband would do all the chores for a month if I made this for him!
Then what are you waiting for?? GO BRIBE HIM! ๐
This makes me want to swagger in and rearrange my crotch gear. OUTSTANDING manfood. ๐ You make the best stuff, Nagi!
I laughed so hard I had tears! You are an absolute cracker Maureen! You are not allowed to make this though, because itโs not good for John and you wonโt be able to stop him from eating it. ๐
Nagi, candied bacon with pecans and walnuts?!! Ummm, how about woman candy!!! Pass me some, this looks great!!!
I know, I keep getting messages saying I named it wrong!! He he!! YES, WOMAN Candy it is!! ๐