The Painted Apron

Secret Recipe Club, Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam Crostini with Pimento Cheese and Praline Pecans

Posted by the Painted Apron on June 14, 2015 · 16 Comments 

Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day!  My assigned blog this month is Authentic Suburban Gourmet and I had a ball perusing her wonderful recipes and ideas…Lisa has a regular feature called Friday Nite Bites that was right up my alley, mouth watering appetizers and light bites for entertaining

Lisa lives in the San Fransico area and loves all things foodie and wine, and has a professed fascination for all things Southern…hence I immediately felt this woman was a long lost soul sister!  As a transplanted California girl to the South, I too, am enamored with all things Southern.  I was tempted to try her Cheddar Cheese Beignets with Tomato Jam,  but then I saw her Pimento Cheese and Bacon Jam Toast Points...

I have made Pimento Cheese

and Bacon Jam,

but never thought to pair them together!

Amazing!

Now I must admit, I took things one step further, adding a Praline Pecan on top, just to insert a little more Southern into the mix…

Let’s get the bacon jam going…

I have posted about making Bacon Jam in a slow cooker, but Lisa’s recipe really caught my eye with some unusual ingredients, orange juice, maple syrup and bourbon!   I had to try this

It’s not hard, just requires some patience.  I simmered mine for about 4 hours to get in reduced to the right consistency

Good news here is that it will keep for a month in your refrigerator, and a little goes a long way, it’s so full of flavor

I am a pimento cheese snob, 😳   so I made my own.   There are a gazillion recipes for homemade pimento cheese, but I prefer this simple recipe with pimentos, extra sharp cheddar, extra sharp white cheddar, a little Dukes mayonnaise and a touch of salt and pepper

I don’t like it too gooey and only mix in as much mayonnaise as it takes to barely hold the mixture together

This way you taste the cheese and the tang of the pimentos without feeling like you have a mouthful of mayonnaise~

On to construction!

I used a very small diameter fresh french bread loaf [Publix] and sliced it into rounds,  then toasted them lightly

Then I topped them with a heaping teaspoon of bacon jam

and a heaping teaspoon of pimento cheese and returned them to the toaster to get things melty

Then a praline pecan on top for serving

I also made a cold version topped with a strawberry slice

Hot or cold, big or small, plain, pecan or strawberry topped, this recipe is a winner!

MAPLE BOURBON BACON JAM

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Appetizer, condiment, Snack

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb sliced Maple bacon cut into one inch pieces
• 1 sweet onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Instructions

 

• Cooked diced bacon over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour off bacon grease from skillet, reserving 2 T.
• Cook onion until soft, 5-8 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Return bacon to skillet with remaining ingredients and let simmer on very low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced and mixture is jam like.
• Transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Makes 1 cup

Keyword bacon jam

Pimiento Cheese

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Appetizer, condiment, Snack

Cuisine American, Southern

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar
• 8 oz Cracker Barrel Vermont White Cheddar
• 4 oz chopped pimentos drained
• 1/4-1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
• pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Shred cheeses.
• Place cheese and drained tomatoes into a bowl or food processor with 1/4 cup mayo and pulse or stir until just mixed.  Check to see if mixture holds together.
• If it is too dry add more mayo, 1-2 T and pulse once or twice.  Check and add additional mayo until you get the consistency you want.  I use just enough mayonnaise to bind, you want to taste the cheese, not the mayo! Do not overmix!
• Makes about 2 1/2 cups.  Keep in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Keyword cheddar cheese, cheese spread, mayonnaise, pimiento cheese, pimientos

Praline Pecans are simple to make and will keep forever in a jar in the fridge

Melt butter, add a dash of olive oil, pecans and brown sugar

Cook and stir, watching carefully, until the nuts caramelize

Remove to a sheet of foil or wax paper to cool

Praline Pecans

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, condiment, Snack

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 T unsalted butter
• dash olive oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Melt butter in skillet.  Add a dash of olive oil to keep butter from burning.  Add pecans and brown sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir over medium 4-5 minutes until nuts begin to caramelize.  Don’t walk away, this happens fast!  Remove nuts to a piece of wax paper to cool.  Salt.  Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid

I hope you enjoy these recipes, singly or put together in one tasty treat!

for another printable version of these recipes click on the links below

Here are two of Lisa’s recipes that are going on my recipe bucket list, Salty Dog Palate Cleanser and Fig and Honey Infused Goat Cheese Bites.  Be sure to pop over and visit the Authentic Suburban Gourmet

for more information about the Secret Recipe Club click here

Click on the blue frog below to see all the recipes for this reveal day

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