German Bacon Cookies

by James Villas
from The Bacon Cookbook
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007)
Makes 30 cookies

Rarely in Germany do you find a pastry shop that doesn’t have at least one row of tan Speckkuchen in the display case, and there’s no greater pleasure than to nestle in a friendly coffeehouse nibbling on these crisp, buttery cookies spiked with tiny morsels of smoky bacon.

For the log of dough to slice smoothly and evenly, it must be chilled at least 2 hours, and to facilitate the procedure further, it’s a good idea to dip the knife into water periodically. Because of the bacon, no salt is needed. Stored in airtight containers, the cookies keep well up to about a week — and even longer in the refrigerator.—James Villas

convert Ingredients
4 slices German speck or double-smoked slab bacon (rind removed), finely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Want it? Click it.

Method
1. In a skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp and drain on paper towels, reserving the fat.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, the whole egg, cream, and pepper and beat with an electric mixer till the dough is well blended.

3. Transfer to a floured surface, add the bacon, and knead till the dough is soft and the bacon evenly distributed, about 1 minute. Roll out the dough into one or two logs about 1 1/2 inches thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill till firm, about 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking sheet with a little of the bacon fat and set aside.

5. On a work surface, cut the log into 1/4-inch slices, arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg yolk, and bake till the cookies are browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.

Recipe © 2007 by James Villas. All rights reserved.

© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.