Spiked Candied Bacon Food

SPICY CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and spread on a plate. Coat one 12-ounce package thick-cut bacon in the sugar mixture, pressing each slice on both sides to adhere.
• Lay the bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 325˚ F, rotating the pan and flipping the bacon halfway through, until the bacon is dark brown and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds on both sides, then let cool completely to harden.

CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Separate the bacon into strips and blot each dry. Spread the sugar on a large plate. Press both sides of each bacon strip in the sugar. Arrange the coated bacon on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar.
• Bake the bacon for 15 minutes, turn the strips over and continue to bake until golden and glazed, 15 to 20 minutes more (it will still be pliable). Remove to a rack and let cool; the bacon will harden but it won't be super crispy.

CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put bacon slices in a bowl, season them with pepper and toss with the brown sugar. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Sprinkle any sugar left in the bowl over the bacon. Top with another layer of parchment or foil and top it, squarely, with another baking sheet. The baking sheet will flatten the bacon as it cooks.
• Place the tray in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the bacon by lifting the top tray and parchment. If it is not golden brown and fairly crispy, resist the temptation to turn up the oven temperature, and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Check it again. Keep in mind that when you remove the tray and transfer the bacon to a serving platter or individual plates, the bacon will "crisp" up a little more. Be patient!

CAYENNE-CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil, and position broiler rack on top of pan. Lightly coat the rack with the vegetable oil.
• Combine the brown sugar and cayenne in a shallow dish, stirring to mix well. Press 1 side of each slice of bacon firmly into the spiced sugar to coat well. Arrange the slices of bacon on top of the broiler rack in a single layer, sugared-side up. If there is any sugar remaining in the dish, sprinkle it on top of the bacon slices evenly. Bake until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then to a plate or serving dish to cool. (Can be made several hours ahead) Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPICED AND CANDIED VEGETARIAN BACON

Steps:

• Set your oven at 300*F.
• Mix the chili powder and brown sugar in a bowl, stirring to mix completely.
• Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or spray sheet pan with cooking spray.
• Coat both sides of the bacon well with spice mix. I patted it on.
• Lay the coated bacon on the parchment paper.
• Bake 10-15 minutes(start with 10 minutes, but you may need a few more minutes, depending on what veggie bacon you use). Remove immediately to a plate. My bacon stuck to the paper when I left it to cool and I had to heat it up to unstick it from the paper. The bacon will crisp up as it cools.
• Enjoy!