Bourbon Bacon Butter Cookies Recipes

ULTIMATE MAPLE-BACON BOURBON CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. For the Maple-Bourbon Bacon Shortbread Cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• 2. In a large pan on medium heat, render bacon pieces until crispy. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat for later use. Set aside 25 bacon pieces for garnish, if desired.
• 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream 1 cup softened butter with brown sugar until well combined.
• 4. Add 1 tablespoon of the bourbon and 1/2 teaspoon of the maple extract, mixing well.
• 5. Add flour and remaining bacon pieces. Mix on low until stiff dough forms.
• 6. Sprinkle clean work surface lightly with flour or powdered sugar to reduce sticking. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch, cut into 50 squares with a sharp knife or cookie cutters.
• 7. Place onto parchment-lined sheets and bake for 14-18 minutes or until set and slightly golden at edges. Let cool completely.
• 8. For the Maple Bourbon Buttercream Filling: In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, and remaining tablespoon bourbon until fluffy and light.
• 9. Place into a disposable piping bag or ziptop bag. Snip point of the bag with scissors, and pipe onto bottom of cooled cookie. Top with the second cookie, pressing lightly to form a sandwich.
• 10. FOR MAPLE-BACON DRIZZLE: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar, maple syrup, reserved bacon fat (heat gently if needed to liquefy), and thin with milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until drizzling consistency is achieved.
• 11. Place in a ziptop bag, snip the corner, and drizzle on top of sandwich cookies.
• 12. Top each cookie with a reserved piece of bacon, if desired. Let icing set until dry.

BOURBON BACON BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and bourbon in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Quarter dough and roll 1 piece 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, carefully cut and place cookies on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them no more than 1 inch apart. Form more cookies with remaining dough in the same manner. If you do not have a cookie cutter you can form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then flatten to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Finally, sprinkle bacon bits over the cookies and press them lightly to ensure that the bacon pieces stick. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. With a fork, lower cooled cookies into chocolate so that the bottom is covered and then transfer to wax paper lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens, store in an airtight container.