Make a dessert! I've heard this from several friends, family, and fans since the website has been active. Well, I think this Bourbon Maple Cronut with Candied Bacon is a great one to start with. It's sweet, savory, and easy to make.
What's a Maple Cronut?
It's pretty simple. Croissant + Doughnut = Cronut. Cronuts have been the hip and trendy food craze for a few years now. They became super popular after Chef Dominique Ansel created the first one at his bakery in New York City. I'm shocked it took so long for someone to deep fry layers of buttery dough and slather it in sugary glaze but here we are. Lines wrap around the block of the bakery in the wee hours of the morning long before they even open. The name "Cronut" is a registered trademark so I'm sure I'll have a lawsuit on my hands any minute. Chef Dominique is laughing all the way to the bank.
My pastry skills are lacking
I don't have the patience and skill required to make great croissant dough. Folding all those layers of dough has my carpal tunnel acting up just thinking about them. I do however possess the skills needed to go to the grocery store and buy some frozen puff pastry dough.
What else do I need?
Like any normal person, I already possess all the other necessary ingredients, sugar, more sugar, bacon, maple syrup, heavy cream, and the most common ingredient in my kitchen, Bourbon. I'm going to assume you have those as well. No Bacon? Blasphemy, make some at home. Gluten allergy? Sorry. Keto diet? You picked an inopportune moment to try a new fad. Diabetes? I feel for you and Wilford Brimley. Don't like Bourbon? Move along and think long and hard about your life choices. This recipe is not for everyone but it's certainly for those that have a sweet tooth and those that love bacon and Bourbon. Who doesn't love bacon? Who doesn't love Bourbon? Certainly not anyone I want to be associated with. Before I get hate mail this is a joke...sort of.
On with the show.
Below is a video showing you step by step instructions. I recommend printing out the recipe below and follow along. It's not rocket surgery but if you're like me, a cheat sheet is always welcome. Enjoy these Bourbon Maple Cronuts with Candied Bacon.
Bourbon Maple Cronut with Candied Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry
- 5 strips High-Quality Bacon
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 3 TBS Real Maple Syrup
- 1 TBS Good Bourbon. Extra for the chef is encouraged
- 3 TBS Heavy Cream
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
- 2 TBS All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Thaw your frozen puff pastry on the counter until soft and pliable.
- Place 5 strips of High-Quality Bacon on a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle a light coat of brown sugar on one side of the strips of bacon.
- Bake @ 375 for 15 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth.
- Remove bacon and flip. Coat the other side with a layer of brown sugar.
- Bake for another 10 minutes @ 375. Keep an eye to make sure you don't burn. Every oven is different.
- Lightly flour a clean working surface for the puff pastry
- Roll out the cracks and imperfections with a rolling pin or wine bottle. If you like a more dense pastry fold the sheet over itself three times. You will get half as many cronuts but it will be thicker. I like a light and fluffy Cronut so I left mine a single layer. Many boxes of puff pastry have two sheets so experiment and find the thickness you like.
- Using a cookie cutter, cup, or generally any round shape cut out your Cronuts from the dough sheets. A shot glass works well for the inner hole. Randomly, I used the bottom of a Turkish coffee grinder for my holes.
- Your bacon should be done. Remove and place in the fridge. This will cause the sugar to harden and make it easier to chop into a bacon crumble topping.
- In a deep cast iron dutch oven or deep fryer heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius. Just make sure there is enough oil that the pastry can float. More oil allows you to easily regulate temperature changes.
- Fry each Cronut for 1.5 minutes per side. Don't forget to fry the holes! Place the freshly fried Cronuts on a paper towel or cooling rack to drain excess oil.
- Remove the bacon from the fridge and chop into bacon crumbles. The size of your pieces is completely up to you. I like bigger chunks personally.
- Dip the Cronuts in your glaze. You may need to give the glaze a quick stir as it can set up and harden after a few minutes.
- Be sure and apply the bacon crumbles immediately after dipping the Cronut in the glaze. If you wait the glaze will harden and the bacon crumbles will not stick.
- Enjoy your Cronuts. An extra shot of Bourbon for the chef is recommended. I don't care if it's breakfast. It's 5 O'clock somewhere.
Can I air fry these instead??
Bex, I've never tried to air fry them so I can't say how they would turn out. I'm just as curious as you. Please report back if you make them that way.