Real Good Things

It's like I just stepped of the blogging bandwagon for a while, so sorry. Somewhere in this blogging world I am still working on the Thanksgiving post. Yeah, that was about 3 months ago.

In my life I have had a lot of things happen, just like anyone else. Some times a lot more difficult than others. What I have discovered it that I am blessed. I have so much to be grateful for and I love my life. I have also discovered that every decision that I have made in my life has brought me to this point and I would not change it. Every decision. I only have one life to live, so that is exactly what I am going to do with it. These are the best of times. Now to step from my soap box.

I had this amazing idea. At school we are doing this huge 3 month long FUNraising event. So, every other week we have a bake sale. This really gives me the opportunity to exploit my obsession with baking.

I am a loyal watcher of Cupcake Wars. Love it. It is fascinating how many different amazing flavors of cupcakes everyone comes up with, yet every time there is still one person that bakes a Red Velvet. Let's be original shall we. Anyway, I was thinking about what I should make for the bake sale when ideas started to flow and I came across something amazing.

Here it is.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Recipe stolen and tweaked from THIS


INGREDIENTS:


2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick or 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat your oven 350 degrees F.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger together. Set aside.
• Then beat the butter and sugar on medium speed in a large bowl until they are fluffy. (Your butter must be soft!)
• Add in eggs, syrup and vanilla. Mix until blended.
• Then mix in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Do about one-third of the flour and then one-third of the buttermilk, and so on.
• Add in, by hand, the bacon.
• Fill muffin or cupcake tins, either lined or buttered, according to your preference.
• Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until your tester comes out clean. I use a steak knife.

Maple-Butter Frosting Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of softened, unsalted butter
3 ounces of cream cheese, also softened
2/3 cup of dark-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of confectioners' (icing) sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl until fluffy. Once again, it is critical that your ingredients be softened.
• While you keep beating, add both the maple syrup and the vanilla.
• Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and gradually increase the speed to high. Continue beating until the icing is fluffy.
• Chill the maple-butter frosting for one hour before using.
• Ice the cupcakes as you do any cupcake.

Once you have completed the cupcakes to this point you are going to garnish the cupcake with a chocolate dipped piece of bacon. You are welcome. To make my chocolate dipped bacon I simply cooked the bacon and allowed it to cool. After it was cool I then heated some chocolate chips in the microwave. Be very careful while doing this, only heat the chocolate for 30 seconds on medium heat, then stir and do it all over again until it is melted. I then dipped the bacon and placed it on a Silpat and stuck them in the freezer for about 10 min. 

Eat the cupcake, it's real good.

Suck it.