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" Courtesy of Pichet Ong, executive chef and owner, P*ONG and Batch. This is a variation of a classic American dessert that incorporates ingredients that are traditional and then some. Pork is widely used in many desserts around the world, including many sweet snacks in China. It is also common among bakers for lard to be used in pie dough. Using savory and smoky bacon to kick up the flavor profile of an apple pie, I think, makes for an irresistible dessert. Or is it an appetizer? Chef&amp;#039;s tip: When choosing the right apple for dessert, I like to use tart and seasonal varieties such as Macoun or Sierra Beauty. Check with your local market to see what it has in season. Otherwise, Granny Smiths or Pippins are excellent choices for dessert making. SERVINGS 12 Bacon Pie Dough INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup rendered bacon bits, unpacked 1/2 cup chilled lard, cut into 1/4&amp;quot; pieces 1 stick butter cut into 1/2&amp;quot; pieces 1/4 cup (about) ice water 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar PREPARATION 1. Toss together bacon bits with 2 tablespoons flour. In a food processor, pulse 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, sugar, and bacon bits three times until combined. Add lard and butter and pulse 3-4 times until the mixture resembles coarse, damp meal.  2. Add ice water and vinegar in a slow, steady stream until a moist clump forms. Add more ice water if dough is still crumbly or too dry to touch. Gather dough into ball. 3. Work on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth. Divide into equal 12 pieces and flatten each one into a 3&amp;quot; circle that&amp;#039;s 1/2&amp;quot; thick. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes. Apple Filling INGREDIENTS 7-8 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4&amp;quot; cubes Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)  1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground 1/3 cup raisins 40 grams of Calvados PREPARATION 1. Toss apple pieces with zest, half of lemon juice, and flour. 2. In a pan large enough to hold the apples, bring sugars with the remaining half of the lemon juice to a light caramel. 3. Add salt and spices and stir until caramel mixture is dark and very fragrant. Add apple pieces, raisins, and Calvados and cook until apple is soft but not mushy. If mixture is too watery, strain out the liquid, return juice to the pot, and cook it down and add to the apple. 4. Let cool and refrigerate until cold before use, at least 2 hours. Bacon-Spiked Caramel Ingredients 1/2 cup bacon, cut into 1/4&amp;quot; pieces 1 1/4 cups cream Half of a vanilla bean, split and scraped 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/3 cup warm water 1 teaspoon lemon juice PREPARATION 1. Render bacon in a saut\u00E9 pan until bacon is crispy; reserve the fat and the bacon bits separately. 2. In a pot, bring cream, vanilla, salt, and pepper to a scald and set aside to infuse. In a heavy-bottom pot, mix sugar, water, and lemon juice together. 3. Cover and cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove lid and let cook until dark caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Stir until caramel is evenly dark brown and turn off heat.  4. Carefully stream in the infused cream, being careful as the sugar might splatter, and whisk the mixture to combine. 5. After all the cream is added, whisk in the bacon fat, and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Set the pot aside to cool. 6. Once cooled, store the sauce in a covered container and refrigerate. Reserve the bacon bits to garnish the dish. Cognac Chantilly INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup cream, cold 2 tablespoons cognac 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup cr\u00E8me fra\u00EEche PREPARATION 1. In a bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, stir (with a rubber spatula) cognac, sugar, and salt. 2. Slowly incorporate some of the whipped cream into to the cr\u00E8me fra\u00EEche. Gently fold in the cognac mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Assembly and Cooking INGREDIENTS 2 egg yolks 2 tablespoon cream Maldon salt PREPARATION 1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough circle to 1/4&amp;quot; thick with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 6&amp;quot; round. 2. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of apple filling in the center of the circle. Brush edges with egg wash and fold over the dough and press gently to seal. Trim off excess dough and use a fork to form a pattern on the seal.  3. Refrigerate the pies for at least 2 hours before baking. Otherwise, you can keep in the freezer up to 10 days. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 5. Brush top of hand pies lightly with egg wash and sprinkle a pinch of Maldon salt on top.  6. Bake pies in oven until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes total, rotating halfway in between. Best served warm or room temperature the same day as they&amp;#039;re baked. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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