Boozy Bacon Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Bars

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

After frying the bacon, take a little bit of the bacon fat and grease a 13×9 pan. If you are not using bacon because you are a vegetarian or the whole idea of bacon in desserts offends you, use butter. Set aside.

Place the raisins in a small bowl, and cover completely with warm water. Splash in the booze (probably a couple of tablespoons or so), stir, and set aside while you make the batter.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to turn slightly brown and smells nutty and good, about 5-6 minutes. Be careful, since this can go from great to awful quickly. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar and the sugar, then add the browned butter. Whisk to combine, then add the eggs and the vanilla and stir well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add this mixture to the butter mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Drain the raisins completely, and add those, along with the oatmeal and the crispy bacon pieces, if using. Stir by hand a few more times, then transfer the dough to the prepared pan. It will be thick, so use the spoon to spread it out evenly.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is deep golden brown and center appears set when you jiggle the pan. Remove from the oven.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then cover with the Boozy Brown Sugar Glaze (instructions below). Smooth glaze evenly over the top of the bars, and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve!

For the glaze:
Melt butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, allow to boil for about a minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the booze. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Cool for a few more minutes, until lukewarm, then add the cream and the powdered sugar, stirring vigorously by hand until smooth. Start with the suggested amounts, then adjust the cream/sugar levels to get a smooth, creamy icing. The consistency should be spreadable and soft, but not too thin. It will melt and thin out more when it comes in contact with the warm cookies, then firm up again as they cool.