Paleo Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Bacon Fat Buttercream

Note: You will need to fry the bacon in advance so the fat has plenty of time to harden.

1. Place a large pan over medium heat, and cook the bacon until golden brown and crispy. Place a small strainer over top of a glass jar and strain the bacon fat into the jar. You will need the fat to make the frosting, but you don’t want any little burned pieces of bacon in it. Finely dice 4 slices of the bacon, and leave the rest intact. Set the bacon aside and place the fat into the fridge. This needs to be done the day before you plan to make the frosting, as the fat takes some time to firm up.
2. Make the cupcakes:
3. Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a 12-count standard size muffin tin with cupcake liners (recipe actually makes about 11 cupcakes).
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the almond meal, coconut flour, salt and baking powder until well mixed. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, beat the butter and coconut sugar on high speed using an electric hand mixer, until well combined. Add in the maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract and maple extract. Beat until well combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients, along with the 4 sliced of diced bacon, into the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to let the coconut flour begin to absorb the moisture.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, until the liners are about 3/4 of the way full. The dough is very thick, so you’ll need to spread it out to get a nice, flat top.
8. Bake until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-23 minutes. Remove from oven. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
9. To make the frosting:
10. Beat the softened butter and listed amount of bacon fat in a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until it is light and fluffy. Pour in the maple syrup and beat again until fluffy and well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
11. Place the frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Chop up remaining bacon and place on top for garnish.
12. Devour!

Notes:
1. You probably won’t use all 8 slices of bacon, as some is only for garnish, but you do need to cook enough bacon to make enough fat for the icing.
2. Gluten-free baking is very precise so I HIGHLY recommend that you measure the flours.
3. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator, and then bring back to room temperature when ready to serve. These are also GREAT right out of the refrigerator!