Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Yes, you read that right.  Chocolate.  Maple.  BACON.  Cupcakes.  Lookie:

That thing on top?  That's chocolate covered bacon.  And that stuff in the icing?  That's chopped up bits of "bacon brittle."

Let me explain.  Last week my dad retired.  My mom threw him a big surprise party with all his friends from way back in the day.  I decided he needed some fantastic cupcakes, and since my dad is a man of class and taste, they needed to have bacon. And if you think bacon doesn't belong in a cupcake, then you are just wrong.  That's all.

For the chocolate cupcake, I once again used Chockylit's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcake(which I used before for my Cookies 'n' Cream Cupcakes).  Since this post already has a lot of components, I'll advise you to either follow those links for a recipe, or use your own favorite chocolate cupcake.  Then, follow these simple steps:

Garnish: Chocolate-Covered Bacon

Chocolate-covered bacon is a magical treat I first discovered at Portland Chocolate Festival.  The contrast of sweetness and salt is absolutely mind-blowing.  Here's how you can make your own:

Ingredients:

2 packages of maple bacon

12 oz. dark chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark, but you could go fancier!)

2 tsp. canola (or similar) oil

Once your cupcakes are in the oven, start frying bacon!  I used maple bacon because it's already got a little bit of sweetness, which I thought would go nicely with the cupcake.  I used 1 1/2 packages of bacon (about 12 strips).  It should be relatively crispy.

My sister, who cooked the bacon for me, insisted I take this picture

Let the bacon cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, break the chocolate into smallish chunks, add the canola oil, and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir it, then microwave for 20 seconds.  Repeat until chocolate is mostly melted.

Cut or tear the bacon into 24 pieces roughly 2 inches long.  Balance a piece of bacon on the end of a fork and submerge it in the chocolate.  Allow the chocolate to drain off the bacon, lightly tapping the fork against the side of the bowl.  Transfer to the cookie sheet.

When all the bacon has been dipped, put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for at east an hour.  I recommend leaving it there until just before you are ready to serve the cupcakes.

Maple Icing

I thought the maple icing would be a nice way to tie the bacon and chocolate flavors together.  Here’s a simple recipe from Your Homebased Mom.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

2 3/4 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. maple syrup

Put the butter in a bowl and mix until whipped.

Mix in the powdered sugar and beat for about a minute.  Scrape down the sides and add the brown sugar and maple syrup.  Mix for another 2-3 minutes or until frosting is fluffy.

Bacon Brittle (Optional)

My inspiration for this was actually a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor that contains chocolate-covered potato chips.  The chocolate prevents the chips from getting soggy.  I hoped that it would have the same effect on the bacon.

Line another cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Crumble up the remaining bacon and put it in a small bowl.  Pour enough of the melted chocolate into the bowl that the bacon is covered in a light layer of chocolate.  Use a spatula to spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheet and flatten it.

Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about half an hour.  Take it out and cut the brittle into tiny pieces.  Stir the pieces it into your frosting! (Note: if vegetarians will be enjoying these cupcakes, it might be advisable to only put the brittle in half the batch, as I did).

And there you have it.  A gorgeous, savory-and-sweet dessert that’s pretty much a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

(Oh, and I hope you like the revamped Roxannosaurus!)