Just like last year, our family is fighting over food again! At least we’re not throwing it at each other. Last year’s debate still goes on – What is a Pig in the Blanket, and you’re welcome to weigh in on that as well. But this year we started a new fight, or tradition, we’re not sure which yet. My cousin, Rob got mouthy and challenged me to a baking contest. We had only a couple rules, it had to be made by us, baked and include bacon. Our family would be the judge at our annual party.
Double Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes
Last year I made Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes. I changed them up a little bit here by making it more of a mousse frosting and split the vanilla sea salt, and bacon among the cupcakes. I knew that there were some non-bacon dessert lovers in our crowd.
Below are the ingredients for the cupcakes, these ARE gluten free. So let’s hear the celiacs rejoice!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 Vanilla Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
Remember to check out the full recipe to get all of the instructions. To make the frosting more of a mousse texture, add in 4 cups of powdered sugar instead of 1, it will be thick and pipe-able, instead of pour-able.
My cousin Rob used the Bacon Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting from Bacon Today. I’m including the ingredient list below, but please visit their site for complete instructions.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 pounds of thick-cut bacon
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 15 oz. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 ounce pack cream cheese
- 2-2.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (1 stick)
See the full recipe for Bacon Pumpkin Bars here
*This recipe is NOT gluten free, but if you wanted to make it gluten free trade the 2 cups of flour for 1 1/4 cup White Rice Flour and 3/4 cup Tapioca Starch
So which recipe would you choose? Our family judges are a bit partial – so we’re putting it out there! Let us know which you think looks better, tastes better or even make them and leave us comments below 🙂 Help us end another family food argument!
We’ll be doing this again next year, so feel free to weigh in on what our key ingredient should be as well :).