Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies

Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies
Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies

Many months ago I purchased a sampler set of flavored salts on an impulse. The names and colors drew me in: Murray River Pink, Bolivia Sunset, and Red Alaea. Since then I’ve sampled all twelve salts in the set, and my favorite – the supply that is quickly dwindling – is the flavorful brown-black grains of Applewood Smoked Sea Salt. It lends a smoky, almost bacon-like richness to anything it touches. If you love the flavor of Applewood bacon, then you may want to pick up a pinch tin. It’s good on just about anything!

I’ve had the idea to use this salt on shortbread ever since I first tasted it. I just knew it would be fantastic on top of a slightly sweet, butter-rich cookie. And oh, it is!

Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies
Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies

How fun are these streaky bacon slices? I learned how to make bacon cookies from Jennifer when she made bacon sugar cookies. I was happy to find the technique also works with shortbread dough. If you’re into making your cookies look like bacon too, then be sure to take a look at her dough stacking technique. I followed it loosely, and was pleased to find my cross section of shortbread looking so… bacony!

Once the slab of “meat” was assembled, I sprinkled on the Applewood salt and some freshly ground black pepper. The sliced dough yields a well-balanced cookie, with the salt and pepper crust just at one edge. I love the playfulness of this treat, but it’s really delicious too. The recipe is based on the Scottish shortbread recipe in the Sprinkle Bakes book.

Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies

If you chill the shortbread slices in the freezer for about 10 minutes, they’ll hold their shape well during baking. The cookies are done when the edges turn slightly golden, which I think gives them an even more realistic appearance. If you can’t find Applewood Smoked Sea Salt locally, then you can order it here, or the entire sampler set I purchased can be found here.

These cookies made us giggle and hoot and brought out our inner practical jokers. Make them if you’re in need of a delicious treat or just a smile.

Applewood Bacon Shortbread Cookies

Heather Baird
The key to making great shortbread is using the best quality butter you can find. Applewood smoked salt can be found in kitchen specialty stores and online.
No ratings yet
Cook Time 15 minutes
2 hours chill time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Wilton Burgundy gel food color
  • Wilton Brown gel food color
  • Liquid red food color
  • Applewood Smoked Sea Salt in fine grain
  • Ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix again until well incorporated.
  • Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
  • Add 2 cups of the flour, and the salt, and mix on low speed until a dough forms. Add the remianing 2 cups of flour and mix again on low speed until a very stiff dough forms.
  • Divide the dough into 4 even portions. Place one portion back in the mixing bowl and add some of the burgundy and brown gel food color. Mix well. Add food color as needed to create a dark brownish-red color; add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough gets too sticky to handle; set aside.
  • Tint a second portion of dough in the same way, but use less of each food color so that it is slightly lighter than the previous batch.
  • Tint a third portion of dough with a small amount of brown food color and a few drops of liquid red food color to create a light pinkish-brown color.
  • Leave the fourth portion of dough untinted.
  • Flatten 3/4 of the untinted dough into a rough rectangular shape, about 1/2 inch thick. Flatten and stack the two lighter colors of dough alternately on top. Add the remaining untinted portion in random pieces on top (this creates another “fat streak” in the dough”). Finally, add the darkest portion of dough.
  • Flip the dough over so that the untinted portion is on top. Sprinkle with Applewood Smoked Salt and black pepper. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Slice the shortbread dough into long even rashers, about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully transfer them to the cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until they are firm enough to move to a wire cooling rack. When the cookies are completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container.

Notes

Note: I have made this with rendered bacon fat added to the dough. If you’d like to try it, add 1/4 cup chilled bacon fat to the butter mixture and 1/4 cup of flour.
Keyword applewood smoked salt, bacon fat, shortbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
9 years ago

Stunning! Those cookies are really original.

Cheers,

Rosa

grace
grace
9 years ago

AMAZING! amazing idea and incredible execution. 🙂

molly yeh
molly yeh
9 years ago

SHUT UP THESE ARE AMAZING. i am obsessed.

Rachel Sally | La Pêche Fraîche
Rachel Sally | La Pêche Fraîche
9 years ago

SO creative Heather. I'm dying over how cute these are!!

Heather
Heather
9 years ago

GASPGASPGASPGASPGASP…. ohhhhh. We know someone who is getting these made for his valentines day…

michelle lopez
michelle lopez
9 years ago

This is AMAZING. You are so CRAZY talented and creative!!!

Kimberly | Chic and Sugar
Kimberly | Chic and Sugar
9 years ago

Bacon truly does make everything better. This post is amazing!

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

……………….. (I'm speechless….) Man oh man…

Mirtilla
Mirtilla
9 years ago

sono geniali,complimenti!!
un bacione 🙂

Annie Wang
Annie Wang
9 years ago

Oh. my. gawd. I need to do this for April Fools.

Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes
9 years ago

Ooh these look like great fun, bet they taste amazing too!

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

Could there be anything better than bacon than some bacon-esque shortbread? They really look like bacon strips too. Awesome!

Lisa // Sweet 2 Eat Baking

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

This is soooooo AMAZING LOVE IT!!!!

IFeelCook
IFeelCook
9 years ago

Wow, amazing!

Cathleen
Cathleen
9 years ago

Are you kidding me? I seriously need these!

Megan @ My Bacon-Wrapped Life
Megan @ My Bacon-Wrapped Life
9 years ago

These are blowing my mind!! What a show-stopper! I think I just found my next weekend project 🙂

la Cigale ou la Fourmi
la Cigale ou la Fourmi
9 years ago

Bonjour!
I discover your work, and i am "bouche bée", we say it in french when your mouth stays open because all these beautiful things can't be real!
What you are doing is fantastic, and i'm mesmerized post after post!
Bravo!

Streusel
Streusel
9 years ago

I use Applewood Smoked Salt on everything…or at least I thought I had until I saw these shortbread cookies! I can't wait to put it on something sweet!

LeAndra
LeAndra
9 years ago

Oh my goodness, these are the cutest cookies I have ever seen! I can't get over how much they look like bacon. I love it!

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

Im new with baking..It's okay to freeze the dough(when it's all assembled) for a couple days right?

Steel
Steel
9 years ago

BEAUTIFUL! We want to try this recipe with the bacon fat added to the dough. Bet it tastes amazing!

Oh Happy Dane
Oh Happy Dane
9 years ago

Hahaha.. this one made me laugh!! It really got my attention!! Need to try it!!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
6 years ago

Thank you so much for this recipe. I made them for a Mother's Day dessert competition yesterday along with faux egg cheesecake and caramelized banana pancakes with cinnamon whiskey sauce. I came in 2nd place and the bacon cookies were definitely a show stopper and tasted amazing.The texture was perfect and melted in your mouth. I knew it was a winner when they were baking and my whole house smelled like yumminess. Also, I used the bacon in my recipe and that was the best decision because it elevated the cookie adding a savory side to the perfectly balanced sweet… Read more »