Bacon Buttermilk Muffins

Camilla Saulsbury

• Ready In: 1 hr 8 mins
• Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 6  slices  thick-cut bacon
• 1⁄4 cup  vegetable oil
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  freshly cracked black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  packed light brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 1  medium  tart-sweet apple, peeled and shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°; grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a big skillet, fry bacon over med-high heat until crisp.
3. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
4. Let cool, then crumble; set aside.
5. Pour the bacon fat into a heat-resistant glass measuring cup.
6. Add enough of the vegetable oil to measure 1/3 cup total; set aside.
7. In a big bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and pepper together.
8. In another bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil mixture, and eggs together until well blended.
9. Whisk in the buttermilk until blended; stir in apple.
10. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
11. Gently fold in crumbled bacon.
12. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
13. Bake in preheated oven for 18-23 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
14. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes; transfer muffins to wire rack to cool.