Aero Perfect Pairing Challenge - Bacon and Choc Chip Cookies (yes, really !)

When I was asked if I'd like to take part in an Aero perfect pairing challenge, I (only half jokingly) replied that the best thing I could think of to pair it with would be more bubbly chocolate ! Then I received a lovely pack of goodies through the post to help me find some inspiration. Aero Bubbles have been given a makeover so you can see as well as taste their two-tone mint/choc or orange/choc flavours and this was to be the driving force behind the challenge - putting together two contrasting but ultimately complementary flavours.

As well as some big bars of Aero and bags of Aero Bubbles, there were some fab bakeware goodies from Lakeland and a really interesting book called The Flavour Thesaurus, which suggests all sorts of weird and wonderful flavour pairings that I probably never would have come up with in a million years !

I toyed with making a chocolate omelette or trying out a recipe that I found for Encacahuatado - Chicken with Mexican Peanut Chocolate Sauce - but something kept popping up all over the place as I went looking for weird and wonderful flavour combinations - chocolate and bacon ! Really ?!

Well, I have to admit, I really wasn't convinced but - in for a penny, in for a pound - I decided to bite the bullet and try out this recipe for Bacon and Choc Chip Cookies.

Bacon and Choc Chip Cookies

ingredients :

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1&1/8 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

8 rashers of bacon, cooked and cut into strips

Cream together the margarine and the sugars.

 Add the egg.

Mix in the flour and baking powder, then add the chocolate and bacon. You're allowed to scream a little bit at this point !!

Drop dollops on a greased baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 180° for 10 minutes.

The Madhouse Mini Testers said they were disgusting before even tasting them and only had a small nibble before wandering off ... then their curiosity got the better of them and they came back and ate a whole one. They said that they were a bit strange but quite nice actually. I tried one too and discovered that it's a weird combination but is quite reminiscent of salted caramel because you get the mixture of sweet and salty. They're quite nice, in a weird way, and are strangely moreish - which is quite worrying ! I'm not pregnant, honest !!

Update : It's obviously an acquired taste - they're disappearing like nobody's business now and I've been asked if I can make some more !!

Disclosure : I received a baking kit and some Aero in order to take part in the Aero perfect pairing challenge. The winner will win dinner for two at a gastronomic restaurant and some Aero to give away as a prize.

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