Render the Bacon Fat

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Set the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
• Line a baking tray with a liner or parchment paper.
• Separate the bacon slices on the tray.
• Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Pour the existing bacon fat into a measuring cup and separate the slices of bacon, removing the slices that are very crispy or leaving the fatty slices on the tray.
• Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Continue to pour off the fat and remove the crispy pieces until all the fat is rendered.
• Strain the bacon fat through a fine sieve.
• Pour 3/4 cup of bacon fat and set aside. Let the fat sit on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge until solid.
• NOTE: Very often, depending on the quality of bacon you use, there will be a gelatinous layer that will sometimes settle at the top of the solid fat, or collect in pockets throughout the rendered fat. It is essentially liquid (like water or brine) that when cold, becomes a jelly. If you include this jelly in the cookie dough, the consistency of the dough and the baked cookies. Put simply, the dough will be loose and the cookies will melt instead of bake in the oven. It’s important that you only use the solid white fat when mixing the cookie dough.

• Reserve remaining bacon fat for other purposes.

Mise en Place the Cookie Dough

• What is mise en place and how could it benefit you? See The Finer Cookie’s post How to Mise en Place.
• Measure into the bowl of the food processor, add the cold bacon fat, sugar, molasses, egg, flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon. ; See How to Weigh and Measure for more details.

Complete the Cookie Dough

• Pulse the dry ingredients into the bacon fat/sugar mixture. Continue until a smooth batter forms.

• Transfer the dough into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Set in the fridge for 2 hours or up to one week.

Forming the Cookies

• Preheat the oven 350F.
• Set the racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven.
• Pour a thick layer of granulated sugar on a plate.
• Measure 1 ounce/28 grams hunks of dough or scoop 1 tablespoon at a time.

• Roll the dough into round balls, then roll the cookie balls into the granulated white sugar.

• Set the round cookies on a tray about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread.

Bake the cookies at 350F for 10-12 minutes

• Bake the cookies at 350F for 10-12 minutes at 350F.

• The cookies are done when they’ve flattened out a bit and firm just firm to the touch.

• As they cool, they will firm up and become crunchy.
• Cool completely on a rack, then store in an air tight container.