ZOMG Bacon! again...

The love of bacon was fuel for the passion, THE BACON EXPLOSION was the fire that provided the lift.  For Valentine's Day 2009, I wanted to do something special for the wifey.  But I wanted to do it without having to spend a thousand dollars.  Not that she isn't worth it, it's just she would rather I not spend ze monies.  So here it is... the Bacon Cheesecake, with Maple Syrup!

Ingredients:

Crust...

35 graham crackers ( around 3.5 cups finely ground )

1 stick unsalted butter, soft @ room temperature

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (the good stuff)

Filling...

4 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 Cup pure maple syrup (again, the good stuff, it's for love after all)

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 sugar (curiously absent from the picture)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 lb Maple center cut bacon.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.  Pulverize those graham crackers in the food processor.  We need about 3.5 cups of them finely ground.  Once pulverized, add the butter and 1/2 cup of maple syrup.  I had some left over bottles from Cracker Barrel, so that's what we used for this.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  This smelled soooooo good.

 

Dump into a spring form pan, and form a crust on the bottom and sides.  Pack it in nice and tight.  Pop it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

 

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Place about 6 slices of bacon (!) in a weave pattern.  Cover, and put back in the fridge.

 

Take the remaining bacon slices and fry up crispy.  Your crust should be done cooking by now.  Crumble up the bacon and sprinkle on the crust.

 

Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer and beat it until fluffy.   Slowly beat in the maple syrup and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time making sure each is thoroughly combined before adding the next.  Add the rest of the ingridents and mix until combined.  Pour the mixture over the crust.  Bake @ 325°F for about 1.25 hours.

 

During the last 20 minutes of baking time, slide the tray with the bacon weave into the oven.  When the cheesecake is done, remove it from the oven to cool.  Move the bacon weave up to the top shelf and set oven on broil.  Cook until your level of doneness.  I wanted it fairly crispy so it took about 5 minutes.  Remove the bacon from the pan and pat dry on paper towel.  Place on top of the cheesecake ( going for that old school fruit pie look ) and cool for 1 hour at room temp.  Cover, and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.

 

 

 

Pork fat rules!

N.

 

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