:-: Wonderful & Special Recipe eXchange :-:

Minty Chocolate Christmas Bars

Cookie Layer
1-1/8 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp.  baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 sticks butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips-dark is great
2 tbsps. or more mint chips
Mix ingredients together and pat in a lightly greased 13×9 pan. Sprinkle a few mint chips on the top. Bake in a 350* oven for 15 minutes. Cool.

Filling 
1/4 cup butter 
3 oz.  cream cheese, softened 
3 cups powdered sugar 
1/4 tsp. mint extract
4 drops green or red food coloring
2 tbsp. milk
Beat together until smooth and fluffy then spread over cooled cookie layer.

Drizzle
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter
Microwave for 30 seconds. If too thick add a smidgen more butter. If too weak, add more chips. Stir and drizzle over cream cheese filling. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Candied Bacon

Center-cut bacon is a bit leaner than other types of bacon, but any kind of smoked bacon will work in this recipe ^[1]. Blanching the bacon in simple syrup enhances its texture, while threading the bacon onto wood skewers prevents it from curling as it cooks in the oven (and creates a sort of Candied Bacon “lollipop”). Depending on the size of your broiler pan, you may need to bake the bacon in two batches. It’s great in our Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Bacon ^[2], and leftover bacon will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container. It’s also tasty crumbled over vanilla bean, butter pecan, or maple ice cream, and makes a great savory-sweet nibble with cocktails (especially bourbon-based sippers).

4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups water
1 (12-ounce) package center-cut bacon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray

Combine granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add bacon and cook 5 minutes or until bacon appears cooked around edges. Drain bacon on paper towels until cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Thread each strip of bacon onto a wooden skewer. Combine brown sugar, mustard, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge bacon in brown sugar mixture, shaking off excess. Place bacon on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until crisp, turning bacon halfway through cooking time. Cool completely.

Makes 18 pieces