Cooking Instructions:

1. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an inch hanging over the pan. Spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon strips in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Bacon should be golden brown and crispy, but not overdone.
3. Place bacon on paper towels to drain excess fat. Once cool enough to handle, chop into finely cut pieces and set aside. Reserve two tablespoons of bacon fat for brownie mixture. Reduce (or preheat) oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
   In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter together. Add in sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until incorporated. Be sure to do this process slowly as you don’t want to scorch the chocolate. Once sugar has been warmed through and is beginning to melt, remove from heat and beat in eggs, one at a time, with a wooden spoon.
4. Add in vanilla extract, bacon fat, salt, and espresso powder, if using. 
5. Once all ingredients are well blended, stir in flour and mix only until incorporated.
6. Pour half the brownie mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half the chopped bacon over surface and cover with remaining brownie batter.
7. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Sprinkle another generous handful of chopped bacon and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.
9. Once ready to serve, cut brownies into squares. Serve with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with chopped bits of bacon.