Maple-Bacon Doughnuts Are a Salty-Sweet Morning Treat

By The Kitchy Kitchen

Satisfy your bacon cravings with these pig-candy-topped doughnuts from The Kitchy Kitchen! Just follow the simple recipe below.

The Kitchy Kitchen

I know. I knowwwww. I'm like that person still trying to make cupcakes seem relevant, but whatever, I love bacon. I love it on dessert. And I really love it with maple. And on top of doughnuts.

So yeah, it's a candied bacon maple doughnut. Get over it, it's happening! xoxo

The Kitchy Kitchen
The Kitchy Kitchen

Maple-Bacon Doughnuts

Yield12 doughnuts

From The Kitchy Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

    For the doughnuts: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg, beaten Canola oil, for frying For the candied bacon: 6 strips thin-cut bacon (hickory-smoked bacon has a wonderful maple flavor already within it) 3/4 cup golden brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon cayenne For the glaze: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (if needed)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Make the doughnut dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the sugars, butter, and wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; mix until smooth. While mixing, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.

    2. Heat 2 inches of oil in a 6-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 370°.

    3. Spread a little flour on your counter, and roll out the dough to a little under an inch thick. Use a floured doughnut cutter to cut out doughnuts. Form the leftover dough into a ball, roll out, and cut again, repeating until you're out of dough.

    4. Carefully slide the doughnuts (and doughnut holes) into oil and fry, flipping once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes for the whole doughnuts, about 2 minutes for the doughnut holes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack; repeat with remaining dough and let doughnuts cool completely.

    5. Make the candied bacon: Turn the oven on to 350°F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it's too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan lined with aluminum foil (this means minimal cleanup!). Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has curls at the edges and appears mostly cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the bacon appears how you like it, like crunchy but not burnt. If the bacon seems underdone, just leave in the oven for a minute or two more.

    6. Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it's easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl.

    7. Make the glaze: Combine butter and maple syrup in a small pot over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla, stirring to combine. Thin out with milk, as needed. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze, top them with pig candy, and let them cool on a cooling rack. If the glaze hardens in the pot, just heat up again and stir.