So… it would seem that the world is having a giant love affair with bacon these days. Bacon flavored vodka, bacon flavored mayo, bacon pancakes, a bacon shortage? Say it isn’t so. bacon, bacon, bacon. Mmmmm… bacon. I’m afraid to say that I’m in on the love fest. I am crazy for bacon! Now in the northwest, Portland, Oregon is known for many things… Its interesting inhabitants, rain, the foodie scene, and of course, VooDoo Doughnuts. Now VooDoo has many fun doughnuts, from cereal encrusted treats to the Tang sprinkled “Tangfastic Doughnut”, but the gem of all gems at VooDoo is the Bacon Maple Bar. It’s a raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and two slices of crispy bacon on top. It’s delightful. It had me at hello. I have since tried any bacon/maple doughnut I come across in every bakery or coffee shop, but they never seem to be quite right. Some use bacon bits instead of slices of real bacon, and that, my friends, is a deal breaker. Some aren’t quite maple-y enough and you don’t get the satisfaction of that perfect combination of sweet maple and salty bacon goodness. Why am I bringing up all this bacon talk? Because as I was trolling the internet for donut recipes (is that weird?), I came across a blog with a photo of the most lovely looking treats, and I knew I had to try them. These are maple bacon donut bites. They were easy to make and perfectly delicious. And now, as a show of solidarity with the rest of you bacon lovers, I’ll give you the recipe.
P.S. May I just suggest quadrupling it? Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
Oil for frying
6-8 strips of Maple bacon
Maple Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine until a glaze forms.
Here’s how you do it:
In a skillet, fry bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Break bacon into pieces. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, melted butter, and milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
Pour two inches of oil into a medium saucepan. Test the oil with a small piece of dough to make sure it is the right temperature for frying. You want to make sure that it is not so hot that the dough browns too quickly, or else the inside will not be cooked through. When the oil is hot, use a small cookie dough scoop to extrude a ball of dough into the oil. Fry the donuts until golden brown and place on a paper towel.
Once the donuts are cool, dip them in the maple icing and sprinkle with bacon pieces.
Photo credit: chelseasculinaryindulgence.com
