(Butch Bakery)
Maple syrup is sweet, syrupy, and so good in these cupcakes. They’re topped with a mound of milk chocolate and sprinkled with candied bacon bits. What’s not to love? We like to chop up the bacon really fine - but if you prefer big chunks on top, we say go for it! You’re going to need a mixer, and the butter has to be soft - don’t even think of starting with cold butter. But you’ll be drillin’ through this recipe in no time. Oh, and don’t be scared off by the word “ganache.” It’s just another name for delicious, creamy frosting.
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoon (11/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Large eggs, broken into a small bowl
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound (10 to 12 slices) of regular-cut bacon
Preparation:
Place a baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 6-cup jumbo-size muffin pans with liners and set aside.
Place a strainer over a medium mixing bowl and sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the flour mixture and the milk, beating to combine. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the maple syrup, and continue to mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fill each prepared muffin cup with a rounded 1/3 cup batter, about 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are just firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 24 minutes. Leave the cupcakes in the pan on a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour.
In heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cream and heat until very hot but not boiling. Remove from the stove and stir in both kinds of chocolate chips until smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla and the salt.
Transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl, and cool to room temperature. Chilling the mixture in the refrigerator will take about 1 hour. Beat the ganache on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust the rack in the upper half of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a similar-sized wire cooling rack inside the pan.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and pepper. Add the bacon strips and toss in the mixture. Lay the strips in one layer on the rack and top with any leftover sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned. Cool slightly before finely chopping. This will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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