bacon fat

There is little good in any Christmas cookie except the thought behind it. This may be doubly true for Swedish ginger cookies, a recipe that I have cherished for years, but I often feel it should come with a special warning. The principal ingredient in a batch of Swedish ginger cookies — the one that really does the trick — is 3/4 of a cup of bacon fat. You can never be too certain these days about what people will allow themselves to enjoy. Their ideas about what is good for them may be circumscribed by their upbringing, their religion or their proximity to a pig. However, I suspect that the Swedish cook who came up with this recipe was simply hemmed in by her larder. She had a pan of drippings and some extra sugar and spices, and she made a thin, brown cookie that tasted sweetly of smoke.

Swedish Ginger Cookies

bacon fat, cooled (from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Oscar Mayer bacon)

dark molasses

all-purpose flour

salt

baking soda

ginger

cloves

cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine all ingredients. Spin until dough forms.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours. Drop the dough in 1-tablespoon lumps on a cookie sheet, form into balls, roll in sugar, space 2 inches apart and press flat with fingers. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until dark brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

The thick, golden wedges of cornbread served directly from a skillet that you see in glossy food magazines look nothing like the thin and crispy cornbread April McGreger’s Mississippi grandmother used to make. The ratio of crunch to tender middle here errs on the side of crunch, which makes it perfect for soaking up the delicious broth called potlikker, which comes from simmering smoked meat and greens, sometimes cooked with Southern field peas. This cornbread bakes up best in a well-seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet, though you can divide the batter between two smaller skillets or even cake pans. A scattering of dry coarse cornmeal in the hot skillet before you pour in the batter makes the cornbread extra crunchy. Flipping it onto a plate or rack also helps the crust stay crisp. Or you could make it thicker and cook it ahead of time, then split the slices and toast them before serving.

Thin and Crispy Cornbread

bacon oil

water

Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Add bacon drippings to a 12-inch skillet and place in the oven to warm.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a whisk or fork to combine the cornmeal, salt and baking soda. Add the egg, buttermilk and water and stir well to combine. When the skillet is very hot and the bacon grease is sizzling, carefully remove from the oven and pour half the hot fat into the cornbread batter. Whisk well to combine.

Working quickly, sprinkle the hot skillet with the remaining coarse cornmeal. It should smell like popcorn. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return to the oven. Check after 20 minutes, baking until the cornbread is deep golden brown.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and immediately flip out onto a plate. Cut into wedges.

Southern fried potatoes, also known as Southern style hash brown potatoes, or, simply soft fried potatoes, are cubed peeled russets, that are first steamed and then pan-fried in bacon drippings to crisp and turned, resulting in a tender inside, but with crispy outer edges.

Southern Fried Potatoes

bacon drippings

potatoes

sweet onion

Salt and pepper,

These old-fashioned ginger cookies feature fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, spices, butter, bacon grease, and sparkling sugar, all in one soft, chewy cookie!

Bacon Fat Ginger Cookies with Fresh Ginger

1- inch by 2-inch piece fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)

butter (softened)

bacon grease, room temperature)

brown sugar

unsulfured molasses (or substitute regular molasses)

sugar sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, squeeze the juice from the grated ginger (compost or discard remaining fibers). Add the butter, bacon grease, brown sugar, egg and molasses and stir until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and stir until well blended. Sprinkle with the chopped crystallized ginger and mix well. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.

Roll in balls using a dining teaspoon. Roll in crystal sugar or granulated sugar and arrange on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake until just starting to brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator. They taste best if they're eaten within 5 days. Makes about 3 dozen.

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