We’re finally here, it’s dead week.

I would almost say this is worse than finals week because you have to dig out long-forgotten material from the beginning of the semester for those cumulative exams. It’s unfortunately also the one week when procrastination is not an option.

What do I do after hammering my brain over yeast metabolic pathways? Well first off, have a drink since I’m already studying about the byproducts of yeast and might as well get in the mood. But more importantly, I procrastinate by saying to myself I need to bake something.

Baking is therapeutic. It lets me get all hands-y for about an hour, is calming, and allows my brain to just coast along as I follow the steps.

I really do encourage everyone to bake as aside from the nutritive purpose it serves and your products being tasty, there’s a serenity in it all that allows the mind to be refreshed when the flour is swept off the counter and the house starts smelling of baked goods. 

Last week in the dining section, The New York Times published a recipe on bacon fat ginger snaps, which I’m going to completely rip off for the purpose of this column. They’re delicious with a slight smokiness from the bacon and spices that are totally appropriate for the holiday season.

The recipe is also great because it justifies having to cook and eat two pounds of bacon. I mean sure, be moderate and stretch it out over the week, but cold bacon just doesn’t taste good. You could chop up some of the bacon and sprinkle it over the cookies as they come out of the oven for added texture.

Another advantage of this recipe is you can make the dough, roll it into a log, and just pinch off enough for a few cookies at a time to ensure freshly baked goodness consistently.

Measuring that amount of bacon dripping can be difficult, and if you don’t feel like getting a heart attack after one sitting, measure the amount of dripping you get from whatever amount of bacon you end up cooking and adjust the ratio for the recipe to what you have.

Yes, it does require a little of math, but we’re in all in university, so it shouldn’t be hard.

If bacon isn’t an option, substitute for butter. I suggest you brown it, meaning, melt the butter in a pot until it starts to sizzle. When it stops sizzling, stand there and watch for it to start smelling like hazelnuts – delicious brown butter. Do be careful, this can burn easily if not coddled over, so take it off the heat once brown.

BACON FAT GINGERSNAP COOKIES

 Start to finish:

Servings: 3 – 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup bacon drippings/ 150g (from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds bacon), at room temperature

    1 cup/ 200g granulated sugar, plus more for the rolling

1/4 cup/ 85g molasses or honey

1 large egg

2 cups/ 250g all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons/ 8g kosher salt

2 teaspoons/ 10g baking soda

2 teaspoons/ 10g ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon/ 3g ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon/ 3g ground cinnamon

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until a smooth, stiff dough forms. Use a pastry cutter if you don’t have a food processor. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to two days.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Place some sugar in a shallow bowl. Break off one-tablespoon chunks of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Drop them in the sugar, roll to coat, and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If desired, gently flatten the dough.

4. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until dark brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Go back to studying or just give up, grab a glass of milk (or something stronger), have a cookie and cry yourself to sleep for the impending hell that is back-to-back exams.