Bacon and Baileys Cupcakes
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 5:41PM 
I can't believe it's been a whole year since I created kellyneil.com. I've had so much fun shooting over the last 12 months that I decided to bake something using both bacon and Baileys as a small way to celebrate!!
I'm still getting my cupcake bearings (especially buttercream - I still can't quite seem to get the hang of it) but I came up with:
Coffee Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream and Candied Bacon sprinkles
Originally I was going to make a Baileys cupcake with bacon-flavoured frosting but yesterday one of my food mentors, SB, threw out the idea of a coffee flavoured cupcake. I thought 'How perfect!!' - you see, I enjoy a cup of coffee and Baileys, well... let's just say 'often'.
When I dove into the online world last year, creating this website, joining Twitter and starting a fanpage on facebook I couldn't get the username Kelly Neil (I mean really? There's more than one?!?). I sat in front of my screen staring into space thinking about what I like - things that bring me small joys. I liked the sound of 'bacon and baileys' instantly - and so here we are.
Candied Bacon is seriously one of the most unique flavour and texture combinations EVER!! Line a pan with parchment, lay out strips of bacon, cover liberally with brown sugar or maple syrup (or both!!) and bake at 350 degrees until crispy, about 25 minutes. Once cool, it's nothing but crunchy-chewy-sweet and salty-bacon flavoured goodness!!
Coffee Cupcakes (from Martha Stewart)
2 C flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C boiling water, 1 Tbsp Instant Espresso, 1/4 C milk
1/2 C butter, 1/2 C white sugar, 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1. whisk dry ingredients
2. mix espresso with boiling water - cool and then mix with milk
3. beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy - add eggs one at a time - beat well
4. alternate flour and milk mix into butter mix - begin and end with flour
5. cupcake liners 1/2 full - bake 18-20 minutes at 350
Baileys Buttercream (Mum's recipe + Baileys)
1 C butter, room temperature, 1/2 C Crisco, 4 C icing sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 C Baileys
Beat butter and Crisco - slowly add icing sugar and Baileys - adjust to taste
Sprinkle with chopped candied bacon, light a birthday candle, make a wish, blow out the candle and eat!!
