A fantastic party appetizer!
Makes 24 pieces
INGREDIENTS
1 dozen extra large eggs (plus 3-4 extra if desired)
mayonnaise
3 slices thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
smoked paprika
fresh ground pepper
salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the bacon on a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Season the top side of the bacon with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar over each piece and use the back of a spoon to smooth into an even layer.
Cook in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes. If using regular cut bacon rather than thick, do 16-20 minutes.
Remove bacon from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Bacon will get more crisp as it cools.
Once cooled, use a spatula to remove bacon from the wire rack and chop into small ¼ inch pieces.
Set aside to garnish the eggs.
Step 2
Place a dozen eggs into a deep pot and fill with cold water 1-2 inches above eggs. (If making this for guests, I like to add an extra 3-4 eggs for myself and also as an insurance policy if one of the eggs gets messed up while peeling)
Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover the pot and let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse eggs under cold running water. Add cold water and ice to the same pot creating an ice bath and let sit for 10-12 minutes until eggs are cold to the touch. (This is an important step because the ice water stops the cooking process so you don’t get green yolks, and also causes the egg to contract from the shell, making it easier to peel)
Peel eggs under a small stream of cold running water. This also makes it easier to remove the shells.
Step 3
Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks. If needed, use a spoon to help remove the yolks. Use a fork to break up yolks as finely as you can.
Add mayonnaise and mix. Keep adding enough mayonnaise until it becomes the consistency of a thick guacamole.
Add salt and pepper to your own taste. Mayonnaise already has salt in it so I usually don’t need to add any.
Step 4
Use a spoon to add egg mixture to each egg white halve. Or, cut off the corner of a large ziploc bag and pipe egg mixture out of the bag. You can also use a star tip to make it look even fancier.
Garnish with smoked paprika and candied bacon.
Serve and enjoy!