Maple Apple Crumbled With Candied Bacon

Ingredients for the crumble:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

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Ingredients for the apple filling:
6 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cubed
1/4 cup maple liqueur or real maple syrup
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise and seeds scraped
pinch of nutmeg

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Ingredients for the bacon:
16 applewood smoked bacon strips
1/2 cup raw cane sugar, to coat
smoked cayenne pepper, for sprinkling


Preparing the bacon:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper, set aside.

Lay the bacon strips on a wire rack and coat evenly with raw sugar. Lightly press the sugar into the bacon, sprinkle them with smoked cayenne pepper and transfer them onto the lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 12 minutes or until deep red and caramelized. Check on the bacon frequently, cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the bacon. Use tongs to remove the candied bacon from the baking sheet and transfer the slices onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

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Preparing the filling:
In a baking dish, combine the apples, maple liqueur, vanilla bean seeds, and nutmeg. Mix ingredients together to combine.

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Preparing the crumble:
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. In a big bowl, add the flour, rolled oats, crushed walnuts, brown sugar, and sea salt. Mix these ingredients together and then cut in the cold butter pieces, using a pastry cutter. Evenly distribute the crumble over the apple mixture and bake for 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Place the crumble in bowls and top each bowl with 2 slices of candied bacon. Serve with a shot of cinnamon schnapps. Or cinnamon ice cream. Or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6 to 8