This past Christmas, I made at least twenty pounds of pine nut brittle as gifts for friends and family, to universal acclaim. I even made a few batches of my Garlic Pine Nut Brittle, and while the acclaim was less than universal for that, it did make quite a few converts.

I gave away almost all of the brittle I made, but I did keep one batch for myself.  As I crunched into the very last piece of this batch, it struck me that the brittle had a savory, almost bacony quality for it.  The seeds of Bacon Pine Nut Brittle were planted in that moment, and the idea has been germinating in the back of mind in the ensuing months.

So, finally, I gave it a try.  And the crowd went wild.  The bacon flavor enhances the pine nuttiness perfectly, just as my brain buds had predicted, all those months ago.  I used maple bacon, but I couldn’t really taste any maple in the final product, so it’s not essential.

And, as is the case with the earlier brittle recipe, it’s almost criminally easy to make, with a literal handful of ingredients.

Bacon Pine Nut Brittle

1. •2 cups raw pinenuts
   

2. •6 thin slices bacon, chopped
   

3. •1 C sugar
   

4. •generous pinch of kosher salt (heh, kosher)
   

5. •½ C light corn syrup
   

6. •1 tsp. baking soda
   

1. (Note:  As is always the case, microwave times may vary.  Adjust accordingly.)
   

2. Starting with a cool frying pan, render the bacon pieces over low heat until almost (but not quite) crispy.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon the a paper-towel lined plate to drain well.  Reserve ½ teaspoon of the rendered bacon fat.
   

3. In a 2 qt. microwave-safe bowl (preferably glass, with a handle), stir together nuts, sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Microwave, uncovered, at high until mixture is light brown (approx. 6 min.). Stir halfway through.
   

4. Meanwhile, grease a cookie sheet with butter.  If you have any nonstick foil, you can line a cookie sheet with that, instead.
   

5. Using oven mitts, remove mixture and add the bacon pieces and the ½ teaspoon of reserved fat, stirring well to combine. Microwave again for 1 minute. The mixture should become caramel colored (see picture).
   

6. Remove from microwave, add baking soda. Stir quickly until light & foamy and soda is mixed in. Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and use the back of a spoon to spread out as quickly as possible. (Brittle will be fairly thick.)
   

7. Let stand for 30 min. Break into pieces and serve. Can store in an airtight tin up to 2 weeks.