Cornbread Bacon Muffins

These cornbread bacon muffins combine the sweet and savory flavors of the bacon, corn bread, and the secret ingredient, maple syrup.

The thick cut bacon is julienned and then cooked to a golden color. Next, the bacon is cooked in maple syrup. The muffins also contain toasted pecans and brown sugar.

The secret savory ingredient in these muffins is the rendered bacon fat. Yep! It infuses these muffins full of bacony flavor. If you're going to eat bacon, you might as well go all in! They smell amazing when they are baking.

When I was growing up, my parents kept a can full of rendered bacon fat, which they used for frying. It was especially good when used for frying eggs. I like to keep some in the freezer, and it is amazingly delicious for making popcorn.

After the recipe, be sure to browse all of the amazing muffin recipes from the #MuffinMonday bakers.

Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Makes 12 muffins. Adapted from The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook by Tom Douglas. It's pretty amazing. 

Ingredients

5 strips of thick cut bacon (about 6 ounces) cut into 1/8 inch pieces

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp (5 ounces) maple syrup

3 large room temperature eggs

1/3 cup canola or corn oil

1/3 cup room temperature sour cream

1/3 cup room temperature milk

1 cup plus 1 tbsp (5 3/4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (2 1/4 ounces) packed brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 cups (4 3/4 ounces) cornmeal

2 1/4 ounces chopped toasted pecans (I baked mine in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a muffin pan with liners. 
2. Fry the bacon pieces over low heat until golden and the fat has rendered off. Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Let the rendered fat cool. 
3. In a nonstick pan, mix the cooked bacon with two tablespoons of maple syrup, and heat over medium low. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the maple syrup has reduced and coats the bacon. Turn off the heat and let cool. 
4. Once the maple bacon has cooled, use a mandoline or chef's knife to cut it into chips.
5. in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, the rest of the maple syrup, and bacon fat. Add the bacon chips. 
6. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. Add the cornmeal, pecans, and salt.
7. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until combined. 
8. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Each cup should require a heaping quarter cup of batter. I use this scooper. 
9. Bake in the center of your oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with crumbs. Turn the pan halfway through baking.
10. Cool on a wire rack. 

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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