How can you make bacon that tastes even richer than pork? I’m not talking about other meats, but plants that are naturally imbued with deeply savory flavors. Concentrated umami brings out a bold world of intensely earthy, almost gamey notes that put animal products to shame. What I’m talking about, of course, are dried Sugimoto shiitake mushrooms.

All it takes is an overnight soak for these substantial caps to spring back to life. Transforming these humble fungus into America’s favorite breakfast food is as simple as switching out plain water for a boldly seasoned brine. Smoky, gently peppered, and subtly sweet, simply pantry staples transform mundane ingredients into something truly sublime.

Once plump and fully rehydrated, the larger, flatter Koshin variety have the perfect texture, primed for slow roasting in the oven. Gradually toasting in the low heat, the edges caramelize and become extra crispy, while the thicker centers retain a hearty, substantial, super chewy bite. It’s the best of all worlds, in both the plant and animal kingdom.

Stock up on shiitake bacon, double down or even triple the batch, because there’s simply no dish that wouldn’t benefit from this umami bomb topper. Keep them in short strips, roughly chop them into bacon bits, or grind them into a fine powder to use as a savory sprinkle. Just a few of my favorite ways to use shiitake bacon include:

• Salads, especially Caesar or Cobb
• Avocado toast
• Tofu scrambles
• Baked potatoes
• Broccoli and cheese soup
• Cheese balls
• Charcuterie boards
• Mac and cheese
• BLT sandwiches
• Pizza
• Bloody Marys
• Popcorn

There’s nothing wrong with just munching on a handful of bacon as a snack, instead of potato chips or crackers. Unlike conventional options, there’s no cholesterol, very little fat, plenty of fiber, and zero cruelty.

For bacon-lovers and animal-lovers, this is the best recipe yet.

Yield: Makes 8 - 16 Servings

Shiitake Bacon

Crispy, caramelized shiitake caps retain a hearty, chewy bite after slowly roasting the oven. Infused with richly savory, smoky flavors, shiitake mushrooms make even better bacon than meat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Water
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 (2.47-Ounce) Package Dried Sugimoto Koshin Shiitake Mushrooms

Instructions

1. To make the bacon, begin by whisking together the water, soy sauce, olive oil, liquid smoke, maple syrup, paprika, instant coffee, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the dried shiitake and stir thoroughly to combine. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, covering and keeping all the mushrooms submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate and let soak for at least 8 hours. Longer is better; 24 hours would be ideal, if possible.
2. Remove the plastic and transfer the contents, mushrooms and liquid together, to a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat until just boiling. Let rest until cool enough to handle.
3. Once the mushrooms are fully hydrated, preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
4. Remove the shiitake from the brine, remove the stems and save them for another recipe. Slice the caps into 1-cm wide strips.
5. Spread out the mushrooms into as even a layer as possible on your prepared baking sheet, without any pieces overlapping. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, carefully flipping the strips every 15 minutes or so to keep the entire batch cooking evenly.
6. Cook until the mushrooms are dry to the touch and highly aromatic. Straight out of the oven, the mushrooms will still be slightly soft to the touch but will crisp up nicely once cool.
7. Let cool completely. Stored at room temperature in an airtight container, the bacon will keep for up to two weeks.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 21Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

This post was made possible as a collaboration with SUGIMOTO Co. My opinions can not be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!

The post Don’t Go Bacon My Heart appeared first on BitterSweet.

Pot de crème is silky smooth and loaded with chocolate flavor. Perfectly proportioned into individual servings, you can end any meal on a high note with this delectable dessert!

Chocolate desserts are classic for any party or get-together. And not only that, everyone loves them! Try out this pie, these fantastic cookies, or this delicious cake and your guests will leave full and satisfied!

What IS Pot De Crème?

All of you chocolate lovers, stop where you are. You MUST try out this dessert! It’s all about how you make it! Pot de crème is a custard similar to pudding. The biggest difference between the two is that you stir pudding instead of letting it set. Pudding also uses a thickening agent and this can mask the flavor a little bit. With pot de crème, you use egg yolks to help it set to the perfect consistency. It’s so elegant and classy and your guests will love the presentation!

Because pot de crème doesn’t use any starch in it, then the flavor of the chocolate is BIG. I mean, we are talking that you taste the chocolate more than the sweet, and it is GOOD. Pot de crème is the ultimate chocolate dessert and has been a classic French favorite since the 17th century! It is elegant and classy and tastes divine. It’s everything that you could ask for in a chocolate dessert!

Simple Ingredients to Make Pot De Crème

There are only six ingredients that you need to make this mouthwatering dessert. This ingredients list is so short and straightforward. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

• Chocolate: Use high quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• Whipping Cream: This will give it that creamy texture that you often see in custard.
• Whole Milk: I use whole milk because it is just the right consistency. You don’t want your milk too thin.
• Egg Yolks: When you are baking, it’s best to mix in your eggs when they are at room temperature.
• Sugar: This will sweeten up the chocolate flavor a bit.
• Vanilla: The vanilla will enhance all of the other sweet ingredients.

How to Make Pot De Crème

This is the dessert you want to choose when you want to make something simple and impress your guests. It’s delicious and packed with a chocolate flavor that anyone can appreciate.

1. Preheat oven and chop chocolate: Preheat the oven to 325°. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and set aside.
2. Simmer and whisk: In a medium saucepan heat the cream and milk to just barely simmering. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Then, whisk the chocolate until it’s fully melted and smooth.
3. Mix and strain: In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Very slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Strain into another large bowl and stir in the vanilla.
4. Bake in water bath and chill overnight: Divide the custard into four 6-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large baking dish and fill the pan with hot water until halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The pot de creme should be barely set. Chill overnight, or at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Tangy and sweet, this soft blueberry buckle is a great choice for breakfast or dessert! It’s a buttery, moist cake with juicy blueberries in every bite!

Looking for more sweet cakes to have in the morning with a cup of coffee? Clementine cake, banana coffee cake, and glazed lemon pound cake are all must-try treats! They’re great for adding a little sunshine to your day.

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Buckle Recipe

If you’ve never had a buckle before, prepare to be amazed! It’s essentially a coffee cake but filled with fruit. Once it’s baked, the fruit pieces create a bumpy or “buckled” appearance, hence the name! It’s softer than coffee cake but more cake-like than a cobbler. It’s a must-try for sure! Each bite is a moist, buttery, berry-filled heaven. The crumbly streusel on top is the perfect finishing touch and makes this treat absolutely irresistible. I always find myself going back for another piece… or 5.

Not only is this blueberry buckle beyond delicious, but it’s also easy to make, too! It uses simple baking ingredients, and you can even switch in different fruits! See my tips below for more yummy variations! Honestly, though, this blueberry buckle has been the star of breakfast at my house. It seems my family can’t get enough of the fluffy texture and juicy blueberries! And if you’re looking for more ways to utilize this amazing berry, find my full list of desserts here. Let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Blueberry Buckle

You bring the fresh blueberries, and your pantry has the rest of the ingredients ready to go! This recipe is something I can throw together easily since I always have these ingredients on hand! It’s the perfect treat to make in a pinch when you’re craving something sweet. Measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below!

Cake Base

• Flour: I always use all-purpose flour here, it’s given my buckle a nice and fluffy texture each time! If you want a finer crumb, you can use cake flour instead.
• Baking Powder: A must for getting that perfect airy texture!
• Salt: Used to amplify overall flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: White sugar will give your cake its perfect sweetness.
• Butter: The fat content in butter helps to add moisture to the buckle. Butter gives your cake a rich flavor, too.
• Egg: Needed to bind everything together!
• Milk: Added for moisture and to make your batter smooth.
• Fresh Blueberries: Always use fresh blueberries for your buckle, not frozen. Frozen blueberries have a higher liquid content and will make your buckle mushy when baked. Use frozen blueberries for these hand pies instead!

Crumb Topping

• Flour: All-purpose flour works great for streusel topping.
• Granulated Sugar: White sugar gives your crumb topping a sweet foundation.
• Brown Sugar: On top of white sugar, I add brown sugar for a deeper, more caramelized flavor.
• Salt: Add to make everything taste better!
• Ground Cinnamon: Nothing brings a pastry together like a pinch of warm spice!
• Unsalted Butter: For richness and flaky goodness.

How to Make a Blueberry Buckle

Making bakery-worthy coffee cakes isn’t hard at all! With just a few steps of mixing and layering, you’ll have this tasty old-fashioned dessert warm and ready to be devoured. I’m sure it will be a hit with you and yours!

1. Prepare Topping: Start by preparing the crumb topping so it can chill in the fridge while the batter is prepared. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Dice the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour and sugar mixture. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the butter until crumbly. Set in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat Oven, Prep Pan: Next, preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with pan spray and set aside.
3. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Mix Wet Ingredients, Combine: In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Add in the flour mixture and milk alternating, starting with the flour. Once the flour and milk are fully incorporated into the batter, gently fold in the blueberries until just barely evenly distributed.
5. Layer and Bake: Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan and top evenly with the chilled crumb topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let cool before serving.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I thought you might need a little somethin-somethin’ special to cook your honey (even if YOU are your own honey—show yourself some love). This extra luxurious Shrimp Alfredo is super easy and feels just as fancy as going out to eat. …Except way less expensive and way more special because you did it yourself. ;) I promise this creamy shrimp alfredo pasta will earn you some extra points!

What’s in Shrimp Alfredo?

This shrimp alfredo pasta is what I like to call an “Amerifredo” or an American-style alfredo sauce. Authentic Roman alfredo sauce does not include any heavy cream or garlic, and it derives all of its creaminess and flavor from butter and really good Parmesan. But if you’re used to the “alfredo” served in American restaurants or bought in a jar in U.S. grocery stores, that’s what this recipe delivers.

This incredibly simple dish features a rich and luxurious Parmesan cream sauce, tender shrimp, and hearty fettuccine noodles. The simple creamy alfredo sauce is made with butter, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan, and it comes together in minutes. Then just add some fettuccine and juicy shrimp, which literally take about three minutes to cook in the skillet, and your fancy-pants pasta is done! I promise this one is so easy that anyone can do it!

Can I substitute the Heavy Cream?

The heavy cream is very important for creating the correct texture in this ultra-luxurious sauce, so I don’t suggest replacing it. The low-moisture content of the heavy cream allows the Parmesan to melt in smoothly without clumping like it would with milk. Another option, if you don’t have heavy cream, is to do a milk and cream cheese combination. The cream cheese will help the Parmesan melt in smoothly and produce a thick sauce, similar to heavy cream. You can use the sauce in my Sun Dried Tomato Pasta as a guide.

What Kind of Parmesan to Use

We all know that freshly shredded Parmesan is far superior to the grated Parmesan that comes in a can, both in flavor and melting ability. But I’m here to say this: if all you have is grated Parmesan, use it! I specifically tested this recipe using grated Parmesan just to make sure that it would be delicious no matter what. And if you can get the good kind you’ll just enjoy it that much more. :)

What to Serve with Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

Because this pasta is so rich and creamy, I highly suggest pairing it with a simple side salad to help lighten up the plate and cut through all that creaminess. Making sure to dress the salad with a light vinaigrette will help balance the heavy cream and not overpower the flavors in the pasta. To compliment the garlic in the alfredo sauce, you can also add a little homemade garlic bread on the side. :) Garlic bread is never a bad idea! And then a nice cool and crisp glass of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc would really make the meal complete!

How to Make Shrimp Alfredo Pasta – Step by Step Photos

Thaw and peel ½ lb. of medium (36/40) shrimp. Remove the tails, if preferred. Leaving the tails on is more visually stunning, but can be more difficult to eat since you’ll have to remove the tail with each bite.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the fettuccine. Once boiling, add ½ lb. fettuccine and boil until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve a ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the fettuccine in a colander.

While the pasta is cooking, begin to prepare the shrimp and alfredo sauce. Spread the shrimp out onto a clean cutting board. Pat dry with paper towel, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted, swirl the butter to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side or just until the shrimp turn opaque and pink. Do not overcook the shrimp. Remove the shrimp to a clean bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add another tablespoon of butter to the skillet along with 4 cloves of minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes, or just until very fragrant but not browned.

Add 1 cup heavy cream to the skillet. Whisk to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Continue to heat over medium-low until the cream comes up to a simmer.

Add ¾ cup grated Parmesan to the simmering cream. Whisk until the Parmesan is melted into the cream and the sauce thickens. Season the sauce with ⅛ tsp salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Add the cooked and drained fettuccine and cooked shrimp to the skillet with the sauce. Make sure to add any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl of shrimp because that will add extra shrimp flavor to the sauce.

Toss the pasta and shrimp in the sauce until fully coated. If the sauce becomes too thick or dry, add some of the reserved pasta water and toss until it’s mixed into the sauce. Give the pasta a taste and add more salt or pepper if you’d like.

Finish with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley for color and serve!

The post Shrimp Alfredo Pasta appeared first on Budget Bytes.