Peppered Bacon Roses Tutorial

Many of you have shown interest in learning how to make the peppered bacon roses I posted on my Facebook page, and the time has come to share the technique!  They are so much easier than they look, and a great way to give the guy in your life "flowers" for Valentine's Day.  Or anyone for that matter--I don't recommend making more than one per person though because you want to love 'em, not kill 'em! 

First, take 2 slices of the ready to eat microwaveable bacon you find packaged in the deli of any grocery store.

Bacon touchdown, ha ha!

Lay one slice on top of the other, and slide the top piece down an inch or two--this will make it easier to roll and helps you end up with a prettier flower.  You'll see the end piece in the step after this.

Bacon Tackle!

Beginning at one end, roll the bacon pieces up, being careful not to break them.  They're pretty flexible so you shouldn't have any issues doing this.

Note how the ends don't perfectly line up

Gently pinch it together and place it in a mini cupcake liner (not the shiny foil ones) on a microwaveable plate.  This will help it hold its shape.

Now, you can cook it like this, but I happened to have some Trader Joe's Flower Pepper in my pantry and I've been dying to find new ways to use it.  In addition to black peppercorns, it has rose petals, lavender, cornflower, and calendula.  But, if you're serving a fellow, I'd just call it pepper so you don't scare him away.  You can barely taste the flower.  I promise!

Grind a little onto a plate and dip the top of your bacon into it.  You'll end up with something like this:

You can make more than one at a time, and will probably have to increase the cooking time, as I only tested the time to cook one rose.  Microwave for 25 seconds on high, longer to make it extra crispy, and allow to sit for a minute to drain.  You don't want to serve a greasy flower.

Touchdown!

Remove from the used cupcake liner, place in a clean one, and garnish with a sprig of parsley.  This would be a fabulous side for eggs or pancakes, a fun appetizer, or a dinner salad topper.  Some guys might balk because it's too "frou-frou", but I guarantee they'll eat it--it's BACON!


Were you impressed with my football lingo?  The plates inspired me--hope you have fun with these!