Maple Bacon Muffins - Hungry anyone?

This morning I was thinking of something different. I hadn't made muffins in a long time. I haven't kept bacon around either, but I happened to have some just now. I started thinking on this last night, so it played in my brain all night, and this morning I tried out making muffins with bacon and maple syrup.

I started putting things together, and frying the bacon. I was wondering if the muffins would turn out too sweet. I needn't have worried. To my taste, they are perfect. The bacon provides enough saltiness to offset the sweet. I ate two of them for breakfast. Oh were they ever good.  Mmmm-mmm.

Maple Bacon Muffins

Makes 12

MUFFINS
12 strips thin sliced bacon (or 6 slices of thick sliced bacon)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 stick of butter1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

STREUSEL
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry to your desired doneness. Set on paper towels to drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray with cooking spray a 12 cup muffin tin.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Separately, combine the milk and maple syrup. Cream together the butter and brown sugar, then blend in the eggs. Add in the flour mixture and stir, alternately with the milk mixture until just combined. Do not overbeat. Fold in the bacon. Divide batter between the muffin cups.

Some might feel the streusel is too much, in which case, omit.  I love streusel, so I used it, and the muffins were great.

Make the streusel. This is easiest with fingers. Combine the 3 ingredients until they are well mixed and crumbly. Put about 2 or so teaspoons of streusel on top of each muffin in tin. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn muffins out of tins to cool.