Yum Yum: Chocolate Peanut Butter Maple Bacon Fudge

Who would have thought?  I originally saw the recipe on a Food network show and kind of jotted it down in the back of my planner (the book filled with tons of to-dos that I’ll never get to).  Then one night when the hubby and I were going to some friends house, I decided I wanted to bring something that I hadn’t made before.  They are very good friends so I know it wouldn’t be a huge disaster if it was horrible and they would try it for me no matter what.  So then I had to find the recipe.  Who knew that there were so many out there.  I chose this one because it looked like the bacon to fudge ratio was balanced:

Ingredients

• 12 strips maple-smoked bacon, with 2 strips reserved for garnish
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Maple extract

Instructions

• Coat an 8-inch-square pan with cooking spray.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely. Reserve 2 of the chopped slices for garnish.
• Combine all ingredients except bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until chips and butter are melted, and mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in bacon.
• Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chopped bacon on top and lightly press with your fingertips. Cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
• Slice into 7 equal rows to create 49 squares. It’s a good idea to use a ruler to ensure equal-sized pieces. Serve at about room temperature.

http://tastyplanner.com/recipes/chocolate-peanut-butter-maple-bacon-fudge

So I attempted.  Verdict – the maple extract makes the difference.  Without that, it would be kind of weird tasting.  It still takes a little getting used to but the flavors work really well together.  I couldn’t find maple bacon so just used regular bacon and it seemed to work just fine.  I would next time make sure that all my bacon is crisp.  I think it helps with the texture better then getting a chewy piece every so often.

However, I would make it again.