Arizona Inn’s Tiny BLTs

These may be called tiny but there’s nothing small about the flavor! The Bacon Mayonnaise and Tomato Jam need time to chill, so this is a great do-ahead recipe.

May 15, 2018

Ingredients

Bacon Mayonnaise (make a day ahead)
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 2 slices cooked and diced bacon
  • 1—2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1—2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1—2 teaspoons chile powder
  • ½—1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Tomato Jam (make a day ahead)
  • 8 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1—2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or grated with a Microplane)
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice, plus 2 tablespoons of the zest (4 limes)
  • ½—1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, cored and diced
  • ½ serrano pepper, seeded, cored and diced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Champagne vinegar
Easy Homemade Biscuits
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter or shortening (1 stick), cut into tiny cubes
  • ¾ cup milk (whole milk is best)
  • ½ cup grated white cheddar cheese, optional
Assembly
  • 1 (12-ounce) package applewood smoked bacon, cooked
  • 1 package fresh arugula

Preparation

Bacon Mayonnaise (make a day ahead)

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a covered container and chill overnight. This mayonnaise may be kept up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Tomato Jam (make a day ahead)

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan, stirring well to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often. Remove from the heat and cool before transferring to a covered container. Chill overnight. The jam may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Easy Homemade Biscuits (bake just before serving)

Preheat oven to 450°. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter/shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk, mixing until the dough is soft, and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and toss with flour until no longer sticky. Roll dough out ½ to ¾ inch thick. Using 2-inch round or square floured biscuit or cookie cutters, cut straight down. Do not twist as you cut the biscuits.

Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheets. Top each biscuit with a sprinkle of the white cheddar cheese, if using, and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

The unbaked biscuits can be made ahead, frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to zip-top bags. Label with the baking instructions: If still frozen when baking, preheat oven, bake at 450° for 15—17 minutes, until light golden brown.

Assembly:

Assemble the Tiny BLTs using the flavorful components: Easy Homemade Biscuits, Bacon Mayonnaise, Tomato Jam, applewood smoked bacon and fresh arugula.

About this recipe

Tucson's Arizona Inn (ArizonaInn.com) was founded by Arizona's first Congresswoman. Recipe reprinted with permission from Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona (Historical League, Inc., 2018).

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Ingredients

Bacon Mayonnaise (make a day ahead)
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 2 slices cooked and diced bacon
  • 1—2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1—2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1—2 teaspoons chile powder
  • ½—1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Tomato Jam (make a day ahead)
  • 8 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1—2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or grated with a Microplane)
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice, plus 2 tablespoons of the zest (4 limes)
  • ½—1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, cored and diced
  • ½ serrano pepper, seeded, cored and diced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Champagne vinegar
Easy Homemade Biscuits
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter or shortening (1 stick), cut into tiny cubes
  • ¾ cup milk (whole milk is best)
  • ½ cup grated white cheddar cheese, optional
Assembly
  • 1 (12-ounce) package applewood smoked bacon, cooked
  • 1 package fresh arugula