Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramelized Bacon

     Today's recipe is rich, decadent, and not healthy at all. Its title may sound strange at first, but the use of bacon in desserts is becoming a culinary trend. Bacon chocolate chip cookies and maple bacon milkshakes come to mind. To be honest, I'm not usually a huge fan of American bacon, but there are few things I enjoy more than coming up with ways to turn foods people hate into foods they love. And in my experience, adding sugar is a very effective way to accomplish that. In this case, the result is oddly delicious, and would make a perfect party treat. But why add more calories to an already indulgent cupcake? Because 'Merica, that's why! So in a way, it's a celebration of my homecoming.

INGREDIENTS (makes 12 cupcakes)
6-8 slices of bacon
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup cold black coffee
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
brown sugar for caramelizing the garnish bacon

for chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 2 cups powdered sugar
a splash of milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Take 4-5 slices of the bacon, thoroughly cook them in a pan, drain, and crumble them into tiny pieces. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients for the cupcake batter.

4. Once thoroughly combined, make a well in the middle, and add the egg, coffee, buttermilk, and oil. Mix just until combined. Then, stir in the bacon bits, and spoon the batter evenly into cupcake tins, about 3/4 full.

5. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, Then cool them in the pans on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting. Lower the oven temperature to 325.
6. To caramelize the remaining slices of bacon, put them in a small bowl and coat them with brown sugar. Then lay them flat on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake them until the look caramelized and crispy. For me, this took about 20 minutes, but you have to keep an eye on it because it can burn quickly. When it's done, let it cool completely.

7. To make the frosting, beat the butter with an electric mixer for a few minutes until fluffy, then add the vanilla and melted chocolate. Continue to mix and gradually add powdered sugar until you get the desired taste and consistency.
8. Frost the cupcakes using whatever method is easiest for you. For me, that means piping it on with a pastry bag. It's an extra step, but it gives people like me who lack fine motor skills a lot more control and a pretty result.

9. Finally, carefully break or cut the slices of caramelized bacon into 2-inch sections and stick on into the frosting on top of each cupcake.

Enjoy, and come back tomorrow for this summer's first inventive ice cream flavor!