Bacon’s been a superstar in the foodie world for a while now (as it should be). Everything is better with bacon seems to be the general sentiment among carnivores. I subscribed to this belief fully and never thought I would ever see the day when I wouldn’t want bacon in my food. But this week, my foodie foundations were rocked when I realized that maybe, just maybe, not EVERYTHING is better with bacon.
It’s undeniable that scallops wrapped in bacon are better than nude scallops; bacon cheeseburgers are better than plain; a BLT is way better than an LT (who the hell would want a lettuce and tomato sandwich?). But when it comes to sweet dishes and confections, I’ve begun to have doubts.
Earlier this week, I ate an “Elvis” cupcake from Georgetown’s Baked and Wired (picture above, sorry so blurry!) in celebration of The King’s birthday. The cupcake itself was banana flavored and topped with peanut butter frosting and candied bacon. I made sure the three main components made it into my mouth simultaneously for the first bite. On initial tasting, the combination didn’t sit quite right on my tongue. The banana flavor of the cake was too delicate for the peanut butter frosting and smokiness of the bacon. However, being the dedicated eater I am, I kept going and, to my surprise, liked it more and more with each bite. Why was this? After an extensive analysis of the situation, I concluded that I’d consumed the majority of the bacon bits in my first couple bites, leaving the remaining bites bacon-free. The cupcake’s core flavors of banana and peanut were far better sans pork.
This made me think back to the other sweet foods with bacon I’ve eaten over the years. Bacon chocolate bars, bacon brownies, candy bacon… and I realized that I really only ate them for the novelty. Does this mean I will stop eating bacon in desserts? Of course not! I’m all about novelty, but now I’m inspired to bake a baconized cupcake that I like. I will start tomorrow with Beer-Cheese Cupcakes with Bacon Cheddar Cream Cheese Frosting. Check back to see how they turn out!