You know those times that you tell someone who are doing something when you actually don’t plan on doing it, just they can stop you from doing it? Did I just confuse you? If not, then follow along. I, the Miss Cupcake, did that very thing this past weekend. The interesting thing is, it almost always happens in a conversation between my mother an I. However, this time, she agreed with me…she didn’t stop me. So, I did something…something that I never thought was humanly possible. I did something that could change the world as we know it. And…do you know what? I…I….I kind of don’t regret it.
Lauren: I think that I’m just going to replace all of the oil in the whoopie pies with bacon fat *Lauren’s mind was saying, “Please mom, don’t give me that look that says that this is ok. You KNOW that this is definitely not ok. Say something woman. SAY SOMETHING”
Mom: Really? Oh…ok…yeahhh…sure.
Lauren’s mind: Are you kidding me? Well I guess if she says its ok…then it’s ok.
Lauren: *Pours 1/3 of a cup of bacon grease into the mixing bowl*
What I actually say? Nothing.
Well, my friend, that very incident happened. However, it resulted in something crazy good, or so I am told 
These (greasy..hehe) whoopie pies have similar qualities to that of the original Maple Bacon cupcake that I introduced. Although, due to the fact that there is half of a slice of bacon sticking out the side of the whoopie pie, I’d like to think that these are more manly.
You see, I was asked to host the first annual “Miva Breakfast.” What the heck is a miva breakfast, you might ask? Well, it is a Man diva breakfast. A time where the men get to feel like they are treated like princesses. The Miss Cupcake really liked the idea. In fact, I had so much fun creating this spread that my creative destruction took way. That’s how the maple bacon whoopie pie came about.
So, below is a small window into the world of a diva breakfast. Is this something that you feel is necessary to your life? Well, you are in luck. The Miss Cupcake will come to you and create for you your very own Miva Breakfast. Or…if you are a woman…you get the Diva Breakfast…slightly less protein and a whole lot more cuteness.
The Miss Cupcake’s “Made for Man” Maple Bacon Whoopie Pies
Items Needed:
For the Whoopie:
- 1 white cake mix (I use Pillsbury)
- 1/3 cup bacon grease
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup flour
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and grease saved
- 12 gummy egg candies (for novel cuteness-these, of course, are optional)
- 3 sticks butter, softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 bag (2lb. ) 10x sugar (about 7 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Sugar in the raw (to roll the whoopies in!)
- Preheat the oven to 350* F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- While the oven is preheating, cook the bacon until slightly crispy and save the bacon grease. Put on a paper towel to soak up the extra grease (we don’t want too much grease! hehe) Cut 5 of the slices into small chunks.
- To make the shells, combine cake mix, eggs, grease, and water in an electric mixer for two minutes on medium-high speed. Add flour, mix until smooth and thick. Fold in the bacon pieces.
- For the remaining bacon, tear into two inch pieces. Lay on the cookie sheet and top with a 1/4 cup cookie scoop size of whoopie dough. There will be enough bacon for about 6 of the shells. These will be the bottom shells of each whoopie. (As shown in the pictures.) You want some of the bacon to stick out…so it looks really manly!
- Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until firm to the touch and slightly golden. Let cool on cookie cooling sheets.
- Meanwhile make the filling. Combine the softened butter, vanilla, and four cups of the powdered sugar just until incorporated. Add the milk, maple syrup, and slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix on medium high speed for about 4 minutes..or until super fluff!
- To make the whoopie pies, pipe (or smear!) a desired amount of filling onto one shell and top with another shell. Roll in sugar in the raw, and attach a gummy egg with a little dab of frosting. Eat right away, or roll them in clear cling wrap for later!
- Yield: 11-13 (depending on how many “samplers” you will have at the moment!)
- Pat yourself on the back, you bacon grease conqueror…I sure did.
The whoopie pies were the Miva’s favors for the day. The table was set up with plaid tablecloth, black name cards, and pretty little glass glasses.
My grandfather (called Papa) emailed me with an RSVP for the Miva Breakfast. Here is how it went down.
Papa: Lauren, I will be attending this Man Diva breakfast thing. Although I feel that the name is slightly demeaning to my masculinity, I guess I will be there. There better be enough protein.
Lauren: Papa, get over yourself. I’m planning on serving cucumber tea sandwiches and raspberry lemonade.
(I might have paraphrased that just a bit. However, Papa came….loved everything, and even texted me later that day for some extra sausage gravy)
Oh men…they are so difficult.
So…the menu?
The First Annual Miva Breakfast Menu
- Potato Chip Encrusted Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (A Paula Deen Recipe. Wonderful and unique. Available here)
- Bacon and Sausage Gravy over Cheddar Sausage and Bacon Buttermilk Biscuits (Stop that mouth from watering…the recipe is available if you scroll down just a bit
- Pangrilled Sausages with Apple and Onions (A-freaking-mazing…recipe available here) I used 12 mini sausages instead of 4 big ones…personal preference though.
- Fresh Fruit Salad
- And a horse of course…the whoopies for a take home treat!
And, as you can see,I got the sweetest little idea for the menus. I printed them out on white computer paper, attached them to black cardstock, then taped a popsicle stick on the back, and taped black paper to cover the stick.
Next, I filled different size glasses with all kinds of candy…and set them between each table setting.
I know…genius. Candy…and a visual aid all in one.
For some reason, the men didn’t find it as cute as I did.
Men….there are so difficult to work with.
And then I debuted something that changed my life. I made bacon sausage gravy…for the first time in my life. Paula Deen set me straight with the base of this recipe. I have never eaten the concoction before due to the fact that it looks like…well…you know.
It looks downright nasty. But I couldn’t resist…the smell…it made me crazy.
Don’t do it Lauren….stay away from the man food.
I couldn’t. I ate. I conquered. I’m a sausage gravy eating health conscious 20 year old girl.
Want the recipe that will be responsible for my future weight gain? Ok!
Lauren (The Miss Cupcake) and Paula’s (Queen of buttery lovin’) Bacon Sausage Gravy
Items Needed:
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 5 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- In a large skilled, combine sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until sausage is browned and broken up.
- Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, making sure to stir!
- Slowly add half and half. Add pepper and salt, and cook for 405 minutes, or until gravy is thick.
- If it is too thick, add more half and half. To thin? Add more flour!
- Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.
- Pour over sausage and bacon buttermilk biscuits. (Recipe below)
I’m not using any more adjectives to describe these.
They speak for themselves.
They speak wonderful words of a luscious buttermilk heaven where angels made of bacon and sausage rejoice.
Cheddar Bacon and Sausage Buttermilk Biscuits
Items Needed:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons of cold butter
- 6 bacon slices (or 3/4 cup browned and crumbled sausage) (OR BOTH!)
- 3/4 cup of cheddar
- 3/4 cup of buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook the bacon in a pan and chop it into small bites.
- Chop butter into quarter-inch cubes and put in fridge
- In a mixer add flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, bacon, cheddar and mix it into a powdery mix.
- Add buttermilk while mixer is running until it becomes a dough
- Spread some flour on a rolling board and roll out the dough into a quarter-inch (thin!) sheet of dough.
- Grab the cold butter cubes and softly press cubes into the dough so it is spread out as much as possible
- Fold the dough over twice (this will create flakiness). The finished biscuit should be about an inch and a half thick with three layers of dough.
- Use a biscuit cutter to create perfect biscuit shapes and place on tin foil on a cookie sheet.
- Place biscuits into the oven for 10 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Some of the delicious rewards from being a man diva.
And then there is Jeff Smith. Surprisingly, the only man willing to participate in my photography session.
Thanks Jeff, you are a trooper.
Hold that name tag a little closer to your face. (I only had to tell him that 28 times)
Oh, I forgot to mention something very important to all of my readers.
Today, I bet Jared $5 that he wouldn’t carry a balloon around campus all day.
He’s doing it….and the balloon says “It’s a Boy.”
I love him.