Maple Buttermilk Pancake Cupcakes (From Country Living Magazine)

Source - http://www.theyoufinder.com/home/2011/09/16/pancake-bacon-and-egg-cupcakes/

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I actually forgot to pick this up at the store so I subbed cinnamon and nutmeg)
1 stick or
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped (I didn’t use any nuts)

Maple Bacon (just fry it up)

PREPARATION:
Preheat your oven 350 degrees F.   Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger together. I actually didn’t have any ginger on hand so I used cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mine actually tasted more like cinnamon French toast but it still worked:)  Set aside.  Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed in a large bowl until they are fluffy.  Add in eggs, syrup and vanilla. Mix until blended.  Then mix in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Do about one-third of the flour and then one-third of the buttermilk, and so on. Add the nuts if using, I left them out.  Fill the cute cupcake liners you picked out and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until your tester comes out clean.  Cool totally and then ice with Maple-Butter Frosting (recipe below).

Maple-Butter Frosting (Also from Country Living Magazine)

1 cup of softened, unsalted butter
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup of dark-brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of powdered sugar ( I used more to firm it up some)

DIRECTIONS:
Beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, brown sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl until fluffy.  While you keep beating, add both the maple syrup and the vanilla.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and gradually increase the speed to high, beat until fluffy.  I had to add a lot more powdered sugar until I had the consistency I wanted.  Chill the maple-butter frosting for at least one hour before using.  I left it chilling over night so that the icing would be firmer to work with, it still softened up pretty fast though (the syrup is heavy and it makes the frosting more gooey). When icing the cupcakes, make a small well in the center and pour in a small amount of maple syrup to fill the indentation.  Top with a piece of crispy bacon (I used maple bacon), and top with a fried egg (the gummi kind).