Maple-Candied Bacon

1 lb. good quality bacon, sliced

• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1/4 C maple sugar

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.

3. In large bowl, add maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

4. Add bacon to bowl and toss gently with hands. Make sure that all the slices are evenly coated

5. Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack.

6. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes. The bacon will be a bit brown, but will most likely need to bake for another 10-15 minutes. It should look slightly dark (not burnt) and crispy. If you take it out too soon, the texture will be chewy. Be patient!

7. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack. Don't let them sit too long or else they will stick.

8. Alternatively, you can leave them whole.

9. Serve at room temperature.

*Note: When using a full pound, the bacon mixture will seem a bit dry when tossing with the glaze ingredients. This is how it's supposed to be. Additional sauce is optional, but not necessary.