Okay, I’m kind of cheating here, since I already posted a Maple Bar Recipe a while back, but this is a little different.
Maple Bacon Pockets are mini maple bars with a chewy piece of bacon in the center. For anyone who has ever dipped a piece of bacon in maple syrup, this is a flavor combination that is irresistible.
They are delicious when fresh, but also freeze well. They disappear quickly, so you might want to consider making a double batch!
| Maple Bacon Pockets | Print |
- 6-7 slices of bacon
- 3 tablespoons butter or shortening
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 egg
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- Peanut oil for frying
- ......
- Icing:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Slice bacon into 1" pieces and fry until cooked but not crispy. Drain well between paper towels and set aside.
- In a small saucepan on low heat, melt the butter (or shortening.) Add the milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and stir until the mixture is lukewarm. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) combine the warm water, yeast, and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Let sit until bubbly - about 5 minutes.
- Add the warm milk mixture, egg, and 1 cup of flour. Mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining flour. If using a stand mixer, switch to a dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be very soft, but should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If dough is sticky, add additional flour a little at a time until it can be easily handled. If kneading by hand, drop dough on a floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes. Dough should be very soft and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to rise until double, approximately 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and roll it out to a thickness between ⅛" and ¼" on a floured surface. Cut into strips a little wider than the pieces of cooked bacon. Cut each strip into rectangles long enough to fold easily over each piece of bacon. Pinch the edges to seal. HINT: Once the bacon is folded up in the dough, neaten up the sides of each pocket with a pizza cutter; they will seal better and look nicer when cooked. As each pocket is formed, place it aside on a lightly floured surface.
- When all of the pockets are made, cover with a kitchen towel and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
- Pour at least 1½ inches of oil in a large pot and heat to 350 F. Watch the heat carefully; it can spike quickly. Reduce heat if necessary to maintain a 350 F. temperature.
- Beginning with the first pockets you formed, drop a few in the hot fat. They will puff up quickly, so don't put too may in at a time...they need room to move. When the bottom of the pastry is a rich golden brown (approximately 1 minute), flip each one over with a spoon. When both sides are brown, use a slotted spoon to move them to paper towels to drain.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the maple icing, whipping until light and fluffy, and spread on slightly warm pockets. You can also add a little more liquid to the icing and dip the warm pockets.
- Keep loosely covered.
Prettiest dough ever!
Cut up the bacon
Cut strips a little wider than the bacon
Wrap that piece ‘o bacon up nice and snug!
Trim the edges neatly with knife or (my favorite) pizza cutter.
Frying in peanut oil.
Ice them while slightly warm and enjoy!
Is there anything that I haven’t already said about maple? If you’ve been reading my blogs, you’ve heard me wax eloquent on the subject over and over, and I think I’ve finally run out of new ways to praise it.
Did I mention I could just sit and eat the icing with a spoon, as long as I had a nice strong cup of coffee to go with it? True story.
Addictive little buggers. Betcha can’t eat just one!
OMG, I have to say that these would be PERFECT for my New Year’s Brunch. And being able to make them ahead and freeze them works perfectly as well.
They’d be so fun for a brunch. I know, I know…they use YEAST 🙂