Skip the whipped cream: Candied bacon
rocks. Photo courtesy TerrenceBrennan.com.

We love this idea from Chef Terrence Brennan of Picholine restaurant in New York City.

It’s a chocolate tart garnished with ice cream, meringue and bacon. It looks impressive, tastes great. And it’s quick and easy to prepare if you buy the chocolate tarts instead of baking your own. All you need to do is candy the bacon and assemble the components.

You can make the bacon several hours in advance, but be sure to keep at room temperature. You can warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (you can omit this if your crowd doesn’t like the sweet-and-spicy combination)
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced bacon (about 18 slices)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a broiler pan with foil. Lightly coat broiler rack with nonstick spray or rub lightly with vegetable oil. Place broiler rack on pan.
3. Mix brown sugar and cayenne thoroughly. Coat one side of each bacon slice by pressing into mixture.
4. Place bacon sugar side up in a single layer on the broiling rack. Any remaining brown sugar mix can be sprinkled over the slices.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the sugar bubbly
6. Drain bacon on paper towels; let cool on clean toweling or a plate.
7. Serve as whole strips or cut as in photo. Serves 8.

To Assemble

• Top chocolate tarts with one scoop each of chocolate and vanilla.
• Garnish with candied bacon.

The meringue puffs are a nice touch, but not necessary to complete this dessert—the top of the tart is amply full. If you love meringue and want to make them, your guests will appreciate it.