Sometimes Valentine’s Day creates a struggle of trying to avoid clichés, but still finding something romantic.
We found the perfect combination – Bacon Roses.
Ingredients:
- 1 package thick-cut bacon
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- Rose Stems
- 1 dozen artificial roses (sold at crafts supply stores)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Take each strip of bacon and roll it slowly, with the pink, meaty part of the bacon on the top. Secure the seam of the bacon with a toothpick so it doesn’t unravel while cooking. For extra stability, add a second toothpick, forming an X. This will help the bacon rose stand upright.
- Place a baking rack on top of a baking sheet. Place the bacon roses on the rack, about an inch apart.
- Drizzle bacon roses with maple syrup and top with brown sugar and/or black pepper.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the outer edge of the bacon has crisped up, and the bacon itself is deep red.
- Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Carefully peel apart the rosebuds on the artificial flowers and use scissors to cut off the petals. There may be a Styrofoam ‘bud’ in the center — pull that off, leaving the plastic rod in the center of the bud in tact. You’ll use that to stick the bacon roses on each bloom.
- Carefully clean the pruned rosebuds, then add a bacon rose on each one.
- Place in a vase.
