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.
Bacon Pumpkin Bars
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 :).
