Elvis Cupcakes

Elvis is amazing. Some people might not agree, but I think he really is a king. So, in honor of the King's birthday (yesterday), I had to post something. However, I am posting about cupcakes I made last year in honor of the day, since I never got around to posting about them then, and they turned out to be something I just can't think of trying to top for such an occasion.

I got the recipe for banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and candied bacon here. Though, as usual, I made a few modifications. And, please note that though Elvis' famed favorite - the PB and B (peanut butter and banana sandwich) - did not contain bacon, I think it makes a great addition to this sweet treat.

First, I fried some bacon. Oh, beautiful bacon!

Then, I chopped the bacon, put it back in the pan, drizzled some honey and a little brown sugar over it, and cooked it until it became harder, sticky and "candied."

Next, I decided to take a few extra strips of bacon that I had fried and puree them in the food processor to add a little extra goodness to the cupcake base. There are many food/drink things that I love - whiskey, cupcakes, bacon, etc. - as I am sure you have noticed, since I tend to write more about them. So, when the opportunity to combine two of those things arises, I take it! And, let me tell you, bacon in cupcakes is grrreat! ;)

Then, I added the bananas to the bacon and pureed some more.

Next, I combined the bacon banana mush with the other ingredients of the recipe.

Finally, I mixed up the peanut butter frosting (however, I did not use the eggs, but added a little milk instead), frosted the cupcakes, added a few pieces of candied bacon, and viola! Cupcake heaven! We ate the heck out of these, and I am sure the King would've too, given his penchant for peanut butter banana sandwiches, and bacon!

Picture Day: Banana Cream Pie

I have many pictures I keep meaning to post blogs about, but just haven't gotten around to. Yesterday, when I told my friend Katie - who is involved in some of the baking I have un-posted pictures of - this, she suggested that maybe I just post the pictures, without trying to write a full blog entry about them. That way, my friend Claire said, "others can see that you are baking and learning, etc. more than just once a week, even though that (and sometimes less) is how often you post." So, here are pictures from one, and in the future, I will post more so I have something a bit more regular for my readers. And, let me take this opportunity to thank my readers for encouraging me to keep at it - Thank You!

Banana Cream Pie With Chocolate (late Jan. 2010)

Making the pie crust:

Making the bananas:

And the custard:

Putting it all together (see the chocolate in the bottom?):

Katie provided the recipe (from her newly acquired Williams Sonoma cook book) and a lot of the knowledge on this one. It was the first time I made a homemade crust, the first time I attempted custard, and the first time I'd used gelatin in anything other than Jello. We added our own little touch by melting some chocolate chips in the bottom of the crust before adding the rest of the pie filling. The crust was not very hard to make, and neither was the custard. I am not sure I liked the consistency of the chocolate, as it was much harder than the rest of the pie components once it cooled. But, the pie turned out very well, and was a nice addition to our weekend in the country get-away (thank you in-laws for having us house sit!). This was mine and Katie's first attempt at baking together, and it has lead to more great baking adventures so stay tuned!