* Although I actually used brie instead of goat cheese, plus another tweak or two to make this really interesting :3

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Muffins with Candied Bacon

Recipe is from:

http://buttercreamblondie.com/pumpk.....ndied-bacon-2/

Candied Bacon:

8 slices BACON (Used maple-flavored bacon to better pair the pumpkin, though you can use regular or low salt...maybe even applewood, which would make this REAL different)

2 cups light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put sugar on a plate and press both sides of the bacon on it so it sticks.
3. Place a baking rack on top of a parchment lined sheet pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Place bacon on rack and bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes.  Start checking bacon after 18 minutes, it is done when it starts to smoke and get dark.
5. Once you remove it from the oven transfer to a plate right away so it doesn’t stick.
6. After it cools, crumble into pieces.

Pumpkin Muffins:

3/4 cup AP flour (used 1 cup, and I would recommend that much for all of the 'wet' that is going to go in there!)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
capful of vanilla

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1 1/2.) Whisk dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices) in a large bowl first, then:
2. In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar together with a whisk.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and mix.
4. Stir in all dry ingredients and mix till combined.

Goat Cheese Filling

4 oz. cream cheese at room temp.
3 oz. goat cheese (I used slices of brie- about a tablespoon worth in each muffin) at room temp.
3 tablespoons light brown sugar (used dark, I had killed off my light brown sugar on the BACON)
1 egg (skipped)
3 oz. sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (here, I used instead 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup)

1. Whip the cream cheese with sugar and sour cream.
2. Add egg (skipped)
3. Mix in vanilla (maple syrup) and sour cream
4. Slice the brie up into small chunks - this I would recommend, since if you throw in the big chunks (as I did with a few muffins) it tends to distort the muffin's shape.

Assembly

1. Fill muffin pan 2/3 full of pumpkin batter.
2. Drop a heaping spoonful of cheese filling with a small chunk of brie on top of each muffin.
3. Swirl together with a toothpick.
4. Sprinkle tops with candied bacon. (Note to self: next time, dont eat half of the bacon when making this again XD)
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes rotating once half way through. - My slow oven needed an extra 5 to 10 minutes, and I would also STRONGLY recommend a large sheet of foil underneath the muffin tin- the gooey cheese came right up and out from the muffins and dripped all over the place !!!

Still- when cooled, they come out GREAT :)

Enjoy!