This weekend my 10 year old daughter wanted to make me a dessert. I don't make desserts, so this was a real treat. Confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, semisweet chocolate and condensed milk all confuse me. There is no charcoal to light or grill tongs to use. I just don't get the whole dessert making thing.

As fate would have it, a friend recently forwarded me this recipe for Peanut Butter-Chocolate Maple Fudge from "Bacon Gets Its Just Desserts" over at NPR. Believe it or not, the bacon and chocolate combination are just as delicious (but, in a different way) as bacon and raspberries. Bacon, chocolate and a 10 year old princess all available and ready to go to work meant fudge for Jeff!

Ingredients

• 12 strips maple-smoked bacon, with 2 strips reserved for garnish
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract

Procedure

1.  In a largeskillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, untilbrowned and done. Move to a paper towel-lined plateto drain. After the bacon cools, chop finely. Reserve 2 of the chopped slices for garnish.

2.  Combineall ingredients except bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.Stir continuously until chips and butter are melted, and mixture isthick and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in bacon.

3.  Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray. Pour intoprepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chopped bacon on top and lightlypress with your fingertips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in therefrigerator until firm, at least 4 hours.

4.  Sliceinto equal rows and columns to create squares.


It was not that long ago when I got excited over traveling to anew country or taking a vacation to the mountains. These days whatexcites me seems to have changed quite a bit. Someone making me a dessert (in this case a very special daughter) seems about as good as it gets.