For people sensitive to nitrates and other additives, bacon and other smoked products can be a veritable minefield to navigate. MOST bacon, hot dogs and cured meats contain sodium nitrate and/or nitrites. Fortunately, Niman Ranch has several “uncured” products that not only don’t contain nitrates, they are also from vegetarian-fed animals that are free from antibiotics and hormones. Best of all, it’s a very, very tasty bacon! We carry three types of uncured Niman Ranch Bacon, smoked, peppered and maple.

Here’s an unusual dessert recipe featuring Niman Ranch bacon in cookies! The cookies have the added benefit of being gluten-free as they are made with almond meal instead of wheat flour! Manzanita Market carries Bob’s Red Mill (an Oregon-based company) products including almond meal and other excellent gluten free=baking products

Infamous bacon chocolate chip cookies

The mapled bacon
5 slices of nitrate free bacon Niman Ranch Bacon
¼ cup of maple syrup

Heat up the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the bacon slices in the maple syrup in a medium sized bowl. Lay the bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so till done but not super crispy. (Believe me, use parchment paper for this part! I didn’t once and I had to get out a chisel to get the pan clean!) Take the bacon out of the oven (Leave the oven on)and resist! Do not eat the bacon! Allow it to cool and then crumble it up. (I chop mine, seems easier)

(For your “farm fresh eggs” try our locally produced Zweifel Farms’ jumbo eggs from pasture-raised chickens.)

The cookies
3 cups of blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 farm fresh eggs
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
1.5 cups of dark chocolate chips or chunks
The crumbled mapled bacon bits

Combine the dry ingredients into a medium bowl, and whisk until nice a fluffy and well blended. In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and blend until well mixed. Slowly add the coconut oil while the mixer is going till well blended. Now add the dry ingredients, one cup at a time, to the wet ingredients, while mixing till just barely mixed. Hand fold in the chocolate chips and bacon bits.

Drop the cookie batter onto a well-greased cookie sheet, about a tablespoon in size. Bake these little nuggets for 10-15 minutes till just barely done but not underdone. Do not overcook or the almond flour turns to dust. Blah. If you undercook they fall apart. I’ve tried all ways and the best is just until they are brown and firm in the center. Purrfect. Cool on a cooling rack and try to leave some for other people to try, okay?

Recipe courtesy of Dana Zia at the Cave Woman Cafe.