Bacon Corn Muffins With Savory Cream-Cheese Frosting

For Muffins:
8 strips bacon
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat

For Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 bunch chives, sliced

Special Equipment:
2 (24-count) nonstick mini muffin tins
Pastry Bag

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place bacon onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp about 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.

Spray a 24-count mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg. Whisk the milk mixture, melted butter and bacon fat into the dry ingredients. Add 3/4ths of the chopped cooked bacon, reserve remaining 1/4th for a garnish.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 tablespoon of the batter so the cups are filled about 3/4th of the way up. Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.

While muffins are cooling, in a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, hone,y and hot sauce with a hand mixer until soft and combined. Add 3/4th of the sliced chives, reserve remaining 1/4th for a garnish. Mix until well combined.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag and snip off the end.

Once the muffins have cooled, pipe a small amount of the cream-cheese mixture on top of each one. Garnish with remaining crumbled bacon and remaining chopped chives.

Yield: 24 muffins
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Ease of preparation: intermediate

Brian Boitano is an Olympic champion figure skater and the host of the new Food Network show, What Would Brian Boitano Make?