Bacon-Peanut Brittle with a Kick

I love when I find a dish that is completely out of the ordinary and unexpected, yet still makes perfect sense. Well, while we were visiting one of our favorite little dessert places in Savannah, Wright Square Cafe, I came across the most delicious peanut brittle... that had BACON in it. Now if any of y'all ever come to Savannah, please stop by this little cafe and get some of their amazing gourmet chocolates. The manager is just the sweetest ever, and we are regulars. We actually have a Saturday morning ritual where we go on a walk around the Historic District, I grab a coffee at Starbucks, and on the way home, we buy a bunch of their chocolates. And by a bunch, I mean like 20. We have literally tried every single one. Anyway, go get some of their delicious treats or get some of this bacon-peanut brittle. After we tried this candy, I just knew that I had to make it. We both love brittle, and I have a chocolate covered-mixed nut brittle that I made back in August that was damn delicious. So I adapted that recipe by just using dry roasted peanuts instead of the variety, and then I added in a bunch of crispy, chopped bacon. But the secret ingredient that gives this brittle a kick is just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. This is optional, but I really think the taste is elevated to another level. This is the perfect balance between sweet, smoky, salty, & slightly spicy. The recipe I have below makes a huge batch, but we knew we would want a lot of it. If you don't want as much, just half it. Also, it would be really delicious with some dark chocolate on top... maybe I'll go spread some on my extra pieces (yum).This is man candy right here people, so go on and make you some!! Enjoy :)

Bacon-Peanut Brittle

For the Brittle:

4C Sugar

1C Water

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

2/3C Light Corn Syrup

1t Baking Soda

Pinch of Cinnamon

½t Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

2C Dry Roasted Peanuts

1- 1 ½C Thick Cut Bacon, Cooked Until Crispy & Roughly Chopped

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. To Make the Mixed-Nut Brittle Crumble: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup and bring it to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is a light brown color and registers to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda, a pinch of cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts and bacon, and then immediately scrape the brittle onto a large rimmed, non-stick baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle the brittle with some fleur de sel let it cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. Break into pieces and keep cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve.