Active Time

　　10 min

　　Total Time

　　45 min

　　It's difficult to improve on the rich, smoky flavor of bacon, but we've done it: As this bacon sizzles in the oven, the brown sugar and hint of cayenne create an addictive sweet-hot glaze.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

　　Rounded 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

　　Rounded 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

　　1 lb thick-cut bacon (about 12 slices)

　　

Step 1

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Stir together brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.

　　

Step 3

Arrange bacon slices in 1 layer (not overlapping) on rack of a large broiler pan. Bake 20 minutes. Turn slices over and sprinkle evenly with spiced sugar. Continue baking until bacon is crisp and deep golden, 20 to 35 minutes more (check bacon every 5 minutes). Transfer to paper towels to drain.

　　Cooks' note:

　　If thick-cut bacon is not available, regular packaged bacon can be used but will need to be cooked in batches with slightly shorter cooking times.