peanut butter bacon butterscotch cookies

If I had one wish for food blogging, it might be to find a way to effectively document the aroma of recipes.  I can take pictures all day long of how good food looks, but what is it about the sense of smell that really, really makes all the difference?

Quite a while ago, I bought a bag of butterscotch chips that ended up being stored away in the freezer.  Friday night, I was craving something sweet after we had our pizza.  So, I did a little searching for a cookie idea that could incorporate the chips.  I needed it to be quick, but I also wanted something different.

Different is what I found.

Peanut Butter Bacon Butterscotch Cookies.  I can not tell you how unbelievably good our house smelled.  It was this maple-y... bacon-y... (I'm struggling for adequate words here...) warm and buttery, and dare I say, fall-kissed, concoction that was about as inviting as inviting gets.

When making these, keep a couple of things in mind:  if you're not a fan of butterscotch, peanut butter chips would work just fine in its place.  Also, the dough can be slightly crumbly when doing the cross-hatch marks. No worries.  Just re-form and all will be fine.

I know some of you might turn up your nose at such a combination, but I want to encourage you to think about the potential.  It's the whole sweet/salty thing.  Think kettle corn.  Think chocolate-covered pretzels. You get my drift.

Go, now, and add bacon and butterscotch to your grocery list.  You won't be sorry.

Peanut Butter Bacon Butterscotch Cookies - 
makes about three dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used all natural)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour (I used all- purpose)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup butterscotch chips (peanut butter would also work well)
• 4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

~ Spray paper with cooking spray and set aside.

~ Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

~ Beat the butters on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until

    light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

~ In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

~ Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. 

~ Mix in the butterscotch chips and bacon. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes 
    (can toss the dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes to speed along the process).

~ Drop the dough by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Use a fork to press 
    the cookies flat and give the classic peanut butter cookie ‘criss cross’ on the top. 

~ Bake for 7-10 minutes until the cookies are a golden brown along the edges. Cool on a 
    wire rack. 

Recipe from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body