LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Everyone has a favorite cookie. And in honor of WDRB in the Morning's 12 Days of Bacon, Chef Josh Moore shares the recipe for his "absolute favorite" cookie.  He loves his candied bacon and white chocolate macadamia cookie.

Candied Bacon & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 recipe Candied Bacon, chopped

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups Callebaut white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts, rough chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugars in mixer with paddle.  Next add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts then mix well.  Combine the flour, salt and soda then add into the creamed mixture.  Add the chocolate, nuts and candied bacon.  Dough is ready to scoop onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake for approximately 8 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on a cookie rack.  Cookies will be slightly under done so that they will stay chewy.  Enjoy!

Candied Bacon

1 lb apple wood bacon, thick cut

3 ½ cups sugar

3 cups water

1 vanilla bean, split

1 ea star anise

1 ea stick cinnamon

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven at 300 degrees.  Bake the bacon until crisp and set aside.  In a saucepot combine sugar, water, vanilla bean, anise, cinnamon and s&p then bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat on the syrup to a simmer and add the bacon, simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Lay the bacon on a silpat mat and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the syrup sets up into a glaze.  Let sit for several hours at room temp before use.  Enjoy!!

Volare Ristorante

2300 Frankfort Avenue

Louisville, KY 40206

502-894-4446

Year-Round Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Josh Moore, Executive Chef and Partner at Volare restaurant knew that he wanted to be a chef as soon as he could reach his grandmother's stove. Seven years later, at the age of fourteen, Josh was working in a professional kitchen. He started his professional career as the pastry assistant at Vincenzo's Italian restaurant in downtown Louisville, KY.

He has been Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef (a rare combo) at Volare since 2006. Through hard work and dedication, he became a partner in 2008.

Chef Josh's passion for food starts with the food itself. He has a 10-acre working farm where he harvests vegetables summer through fall and uses them at Volare.

As the Lead Chef of the March of Dimes annual Signature Chef event since 2008, Josh has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. He has also cooked at the James Beard House in New York and is a regular on the show Secrets of Louisville Chefs.

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