Recipe: Apple, Bacon and Maple Muffins

In our house we love bacon. I think the kids get it especially strongly from their American Daddy.

One day while being stuck under 2 sleeping kids I had the inspiration for trying out Bacon and Apples together in a muffin. My testers really loved the result but a couple of days after, my husband comes up to me and says... you know those apple and bacon muffins you made.... would it still work if you added maple syrup into it. I just had to try it and after a few measurement trials I think the recipe below perfectly balances the salty sweet and crisp flavours that is Apple Bacon and Maple Muffins,

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 1 brown onion (chopped into small cubes)
• 5 rashers of bacon (chopped into small cubes)
• 1 large apple (grated) or 2 small apples 1 grated and 1 chopped into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups of white self-raising flour
• 1 cup wholemeal self raising flour flour
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 grated or shredded cheese (I used half tasty and half Parmesan) 

Method

1. Heat oven to about 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Chop bacon and onion into small cubes. 
3. Grate one large apple (skin and all).
4. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tray with butter
5. Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat to fry onion and bacon. Cook till onion goes translucent and soft. Stir in half of the maple syrup.
6. Stir through grated apple then remove from heat and set aside to cool
7. Sift both white and wholemeal self raising flour into a large bowl 
8. In a jug, lightly beat an egg with milk and olive oil. Add mixture to the flour and gently stir until almost combined.
9. Gently fold in bacon and apple mixture, cheese and the rest of the maple syrup. 
10. Spoon into muffin tray (this mix will is pretty much going to fill every cup in a standard muffin tray)
11. Bake in the middle tray for 18-20 mins or until a test skewer comes out clean. 

Tips: Try not to stir the mixture too much so the air doesn't beat out for light fluffy muffins.