Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Candied Bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Start by making candied bacon.
3. Combine maple syrup, light brown sugar and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix together.
4. Generously rub each slice of bacon with the maple syrup mixture until evenly coated.
5. Lay strips of bacon on a cooling rack; set the cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet. You might want to cover the baking sheet with foil before putting the rack into it so that it’s easier to clean and you don’t ruin it.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until caramelized. Remove pan from the oven and set bacon aside. Do not turn off the oven.
7. Let the bacon cool, then roughly chop.
8. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
9. Using a spoon, in a large mixing bowl mix together the melted butter and the mashed bananas.
10. Mix in the beaten egg, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla.
11. Continue to stir with the spoon while gradually adding in the flour mixture; mix until well incorporated.
12. Fold in the chopped candied bacon.
13. Pour mixture into a greased 4×8-inch loaf pan.
14. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
15. Remove pan from the oven and allow bread to cool in the pan, then remove it from the pan to serve.

Bread recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.