Banana Fluffer Nutter Cupcakes with Candied Bacon

Today is my dear friend Brian's birthday.  Happy Birthday Brian!  With all the hullabaloo about the royal wedding I wanted to make something befitting royalty for this special day.  Since Brian is a major fan of the King of Rock and Roll, I decided to go with something I know Elvis would have loved.  How can you go wrong with bananas, peanut butter and bacon?

These cupcakes are made with a banana muffin mix (they didn't have any over-ripe bananas at the grocery!) which saves a lot of time.  Feel free to substitute your favorite banana muffin recipe if you feel inclined to make them from scratch.  I just removed the walnuts and added a little extra cinnamon to the mix.  Then they are filled with marshmallow creme (more pre-fabricated goodness!)  And then they are topped with a sweet and salty peanut butter icing and finally garnished with candied bacon!  The King would be proud!

Banana Fluffer Nutter Cupcakes with Candied Bacon
makes 1 dozen

Candied Bacon
5 slices of bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 250 F.  Combine bacon and brown sugar in a small bowl and toss until bacon is well-coated with brown sugar. Place bacon on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.  Bake 30-45 minutes until caramelized and golden.  Bacon may seem limp, but will crisp up once cooled.  Remove bacon from rack while still hot, cool, and chop to small chunks.

Banana Cupcakes
1 box banana nut muffin mix, sifted to remove nuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small jar marshmallow creme

Sift banana muffin mix to remove nuts,  add cinnamon and prepare according to package directions, cool completley.  Once cooled, pierce each cupake in the center with a sharp small knife. Using a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, fill each cupcake with marshmallow creme.  Frost with peanut butter icing and garnish with candied bacon and a pinch of coarse sea salt.

Peanut Butter Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup half and half

In a large bowl combine butter, peanut butter, salt and vanilla and mix until smooth and well-blended.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well-combined.  Thin icing to desired consistency with milk.