Happy Birthday!!!

As promised....(drum roll, please)....





Indeed, this is Candied Bacon Cheesecake. And yes, if I do say so myself, it tastes as just as decadent and delicious as it looks.

If you look closely, at the bottom of the crust is a layer of candied bacon beneath the custard - and the cheesecake is topped with chopped candied bacon, and drizzled with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce.

The story behind this creation is that my wonderful daughter requested it to celebrate her 16th birthday. When I posted this fact on Facebook (because I thought it was even more evidence that she is the coolest daughter EVER), my friends and colleagues there responded with great enthusiasm, in viral fashion. I became a woman on a mission.

I Googled "Candied Bacon Cheesecake", and there were several results, but no one recipe seemed to meet my vision. So - the following recipe is an amalgamation of many ideas, and I encourage you to explore and experiment yourself!

Ingredients:
For the candied bacon-
One package of applewood smoked bacon (not thick cut)
Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Heat oven to 350. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then place a wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet. Make sure the cooling rack is oven safe - made of metal, not plastic or coated in plastic that could melt in the oven. Spray the cooling rack with non-stick spray.

Put about 2 cups of brown sugar and 1-2 teaspoons (amount is up to personal preference) of cinnamon in a small metal bowl. Whisk to combine.

Coat each slice of bacon with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, and place on the cooling rack, fitting as many as you can fit on your rack - the pieces may touch each other, but it is best they don't overlap.

Bake for 20 minutes, and allow to cool for 5 minutes before handling (the coating is like sweet, delicious napalm - so be careful).

Yes, in this recipe we will be using the candied bacon in a cheesecake, but once you make it, I'm sure you will find many, many wonderful applications - like sitting in your comfy chair on a cold day with a plate of candied bacon, hot cinnamon rolls and coffee with Bailey's. Not that I've fantasized about that...at all...

For the Cheesecake:
16 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
9 inch graham cracker crust
A package worth of candied bacon
Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce

Beat together the eggs, sugar and maple syrup, then add the cream cheese and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Line the bottom of the graham cracker crust with slices of candied bacon. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes - until the outer edge is slightly browned, and the center is a bit "jiggly". Allow to cool, then chill in the refrigerator overnight. Also, put the leftover bacon in a freezer bag and refrigerate. Don't eat it all now!

Yes, I said you have to wait until the next day. To quote a hero of mine, "Your patience will be rewarded".

The next morning (because who can wait for dinner, and since it has eggs and bacon, it certainly could be considered breakfast food), chop up the remaining candied bacon. It seems to me a good serving size is 1/12 of a 9 inch cheesecake...but use your best judgement. Put a heap of the chopped, candied bacon on top of a slice, then drizzle the chocolate sauce over the bacon and cheesecake.

Or, stick a couple big ol' candles in a slice, sing "Happy Birthday" to the most wonderful blessing anyone could ever ask to come into your life, and celebrate!

Well, that's what we did. :-)