Glazed bacon cheese-mas cob loaf

If you want to impress this festive season, look no further, because this bacon and cheese cob loaf is about to change the Christmas lunch game for good. The maple glaze, the crusty bread, and the ultra-cheesy filling… it’s a serious showstopper.

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
150g short cut bacon rashers, finely chopped
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
125g (1/2 cup) sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley leaves, plus extra leaves, to serve
1 (about 20cm) cob loaf
18 streaky bacon rashers
80ml (1/3 cup) maple syrup
Peeled baby carrots, to serve
Lebanese cucumber wedges, to serve

Method
1. Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the short cut bacon and onion. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until the bacon starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add cream cheese, sour cream and parsley to bacon mixture. Season. Stir until combined.
4. Cut the top off cob loaf, 4cm from top and reserve. Scoop out bread inside, leaving a 2cm-thick shell. Cut inside bread into large pieces and reserved top into wedges.
5. Place cob on prepared tray. Wrap 1 rasher over side of cob, tucking end under to secure. Repeat with remaining rashers, overlapping slightly. Brush with syrup. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Spoon bacon mixture into loaf. Brush rashers again with syrup. Place chopped bread on tray. Spray with oil and brush with a little of the remaining syrup.
7. Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Brush rashers with remaining syrup. Top with extra parsley. Serve with carrot and cucumber.