peanut butter and sesame cookies

By janeofmanytrade • June 6, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: peanut butter and sesame seeds are two of my favorite flavors and when combined, they blend beautifully. the sandy texture of a peanut butter cookie is a perfect match for the crispy little seeds. so why mess with the perfect combination of flavors and textures?

the current trend of adding bacon to desserts and sweets is a bit over done. when you start seeing bacon sundaes on fast food menus, it is time to move on. it wouldn't be so bad if the result wasn't a smack in the face; the overpowering flavor of salty- smoky bacon that screams it's presence bite after bite. as a pastry chef, i have learned to blend seemingly opposite flavors to form a new flavor with subtle hints and notes that leave people guessing just what might be in this dish.

to really give desserts a bacon flavor, i always reach for the pan after the bacon is cooked. the fat left in the pan is full of flavor. when used in small amounts, it can add a touch of smoke, a hint of bacon that will not mask the remaining nuances and will enhance them.

for the best flavor, use a bacon that hasn't been cured with nitrites or nitrates. with all of the artisanal producers out there, you are bound to find a nice, smoky bacon that hasn't been cured. finding it is easier than you think, many supermarkets now carry uncured bacon, i buy mine locally at trader joe's. - janeofmanytrade

Makes 24 cookies

1/4 cup bacon fat, at room temperature
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter, must be homogenized
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups sesame seeds for coating the cookies

if you just cooked your bacon, be sure to save the grease and don't worry about straining out all those little bits! just go ahead and measure out the 1/4 cup and allow it to cool to room temperature. bacon at room temperature is much softer than butter but it should be opaque.
preheat the oven to 375. in a mixing bowl, cream the brown sugar with the bacon fat, butter, chopped peanuts and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds. scrape the bowl well and cream until light and fluffy.
add the egg, mix it in and scrape down the bowl to completely incorporate it. place the flour and baking soda in a sifter and sift over the dough. stir it in by hand and mix in thoroughly.
to scoop out the cookies, use a portion scoop size #40 or a tablespoon slightly heaped. roll each one in the additional sesame seeds. place the cookies on a heavy duty baking sheet that is lined with baking paper. bake until golden brown, turning the trays halfway through, about 12-14 minutes. let them cool for a few minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.