Today I will take a perfectly innocent cookie recipe and turn it carnivorous. I didn’t invent this but also don’t remember where I saw it. It is simply unusual and delicious. Do you save the grease created when cooking bacon? It is good to fry up other meats, and now to use in a cookie!

Place the following ingredients into a food processor with a metal blade: 3/4 cup rendered bacon fat, chilled; 1 cup white sugar; 1/4 cup molasses; 1 egg; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon grind cinnamon. Pulse until a smooth stiff dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap for between 2 hours or up to 1 week.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Place a thick layer of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Select about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, roll in sugar to cover and place on prepared pan. Repeat with additional dough, placing about 2 inches apart (as they will spread out when cooked) until baking sheets are full. Cook in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until flat and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place in an airtight container. OR. Keep the remaining dough in fridge to “harvest” nightly and make fresh, warm cookies all week. AND/OR. While still warm, place on plate and top with one scoop of vanilla ice cream and grate fresh nutmeg atop. Oh, the options are endless. Enjoy this most unusual of cookies!

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes

#ATOBTTR update – Way to go my Cincinnati Reds, way to take the Cubs series. You need to keep this up as time is getting short. There is still a shot to create the World Championship Season I prophesied. Don’t throw away your shot!