Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

I intended to make these for a cupcake exchange, it was going to be awesome. But I messed up the recipe, don't ask, and they turned out horribly. I tried them again today. They are good and weird at the same time. If they had turned out for the exchange I was going to decorate them with a cross section of a marshmallow with the round sides up of a yellow jelly bean cut in half. With mini strips of cut bacon it looked just like bacon and eggs.
The recipe calls for self-rising four. I wouldn't recommend using a substitute because that's one place where I made a mistake the first time. Self-rising flour isn't expensive and you can use it for other recipes. I used Grade A dark Amber syrup for the cupcakes and the frosting, and I think the flavor worked well.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
adapted from "Vanilla Garlic"


4 1/2 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
1/2 TB bacon drippings (left in the fridge to solidify)
1 egg
1/4 C plus 1 TB brown sugar
4 TB real maple syrup
1 1/4 C self rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of minced bacon

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, bacon drippings and sugar together. Add egg. Sift dry ingredients together, and add to egg and sugar mixture slowly, and alternate with milk, ending with the flour mixture until combined. Fold in bacon and scoop in muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost with Maple Frosting ( beat 4 TB butter with 1 1/2 C powdered sugar and maple syrup (2 - 4 TB) until desired consistency.)