I was looking for a reason to make something that resembles the maple bacon cupcakes and doughnuts that everyone seems to be making. But I wanted to step it up a bit, both for flavor (the drunken) and for fall (the pumpkin). After researching how these things are typically made by about 20 others, I came up with this.
The boys liked them as much as they like the quiche so it’s got to be a hit.
This makes about 30 – 1 1/2 inch balls
Ingredients
Balls
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 package of bacon, fried and chopped
- 1/4 cup bacon grease from cooking the bacon, in solid form
- 4 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (2 packets)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup your favorite spiced rum (Kraken or Captain Morgan‘s)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons of maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 2/3 of all-purpose flour, plus a little extra if needed
- vegetable oil for frying (I used 2 quarts)
Glaze
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon bacon fat, melted
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of the rum used in the balls
Preparation
I did most of this the evening before just because everyone likes their balls freshly cooked and warm, right.
First you need to cook up the package of bacon. I find it best to bake this on a foil lined cooke sheet in a 375 to 385 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes per side, draining the grease at the flip. Then take the finished bacon and drain on some paper towels. Put the bacon grease into a bowl and refridgerate long enough to make it the consistency of warm butter. Now to make some bacon butter. Add the evaporated milk to a saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until just warm enough to melt the bacon grease. Pour the warm milk over top of the bacon grease slowly and stir constantly until it’s fully mixed. Set side to let cool to room temperature.
While that’s cooling, take a few minutes to loosely chop half of the bacon. Finely chop the rest and keep the two separate.
The next thing you can premake is the glaze. In another bowl add all the glaze ingredients along with the finely chopped bacon and whisk until this becomes a glaze. Then refrigerate till ready to use.
Now to make the dough. In the large bowl whisk together the yeast and warm water to activate it. Let this mixture sit for about five minutes until foamy. Then add in cooled bacon butter. Mix well using an electric mixer on low speed. Add in the eggs, syrup, salt, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, rum, coarse chopped bacon and half of the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the remaining flour, mixing on medium speed until combined which will take about five minutes. Then knead the dough for about five minutes or until it fully pulls from the bowl. If it is sticky add a few tablespoons of flour and knead until it pulls off smoothly. Have another vegetable oil coated bowl ready and transfer the dough when it pulls easily, cover and let rise in a warm place for about and hour.
Prepare a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper and a little coating of oil or baking spray. Then pinch off pieces of the dough that you can roll into balls about an inch to inch and a half in diameter. Place these on the cookie sheets keeping at least a half an inch to one inch separation. Then cover loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap and let this rise at room temperature for another thirty minutes. Then move to the refrigerator for the night.
Assembly
First thing you need to do is get the dough nuts out of the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room temperature. If your pressed for time, warm up the oven a little and put the balls in there with the door cracked so it’s about 100 degrees in the oven for about five minutes. Warm up your glaze either in a microwave or pot just enough to liquify it again.
While the balls are warming, heat your oil a large pot on medium high heat, making sure it is about 365 degrees. You should also only need about two to three inches of oil. And if you want them a little crisper and healthier, use coconut oil. Add the dough nuts into the oil five or six at a time, frying on each side for about 1 minute, and flipping with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove and let drain on wire rack placed above a paper towel. When finished, dip each ball halfway in glaze. They are ready to serve or pack in a foil covered tray for transport. If your taking these to the rink, make sure to leave a little vent in the foil cover to let the steam out, but keep most of the heat in.