Decadent and delicious puffy pancakes with salty sweet bacon and caramel.

Scale

6 slices thick cut apple wood smoked bacon

20 caramel candies, unwrapped*

1/4 cup heavy cream

pinch of kosher salt

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, separated

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Heat oven to 200F.
Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel to drain; reserve bacon grease. Crumble bacon into bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
In small saucepan, over low heat, stir caramel candies, cream and salt until melted and smooth; keep warm.
In small bowl, whisk flour, sugar and baking powder.
In another bowl, whisk egg yolk, milk, butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients and ½ cup bacon into dry ingredients; blend well with a spoon. The batter will look lumpy.
Beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of egg white into batter to lighten it up. Fold remaining egg whites in until fully incorporated.
Brush the wells of an ebelskiver pan lightly with the reserved bacon grease; place over medium-low heat
When the bacon grease is hot, spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each well.
Working quickly, spoon ½ teaspoon of warm caramel into center of each pancake. Top each with another tablespoonful of batter.
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the bottom of the pancakes are golden brown and crisp. Using two wooden skewers or chopsticks, turn the pancakes and cook for 3 more minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer pancakes to an oven-safe platter and keep warm in oven while making the second batch.
Arrange pancakes on platter. Drizzle with some warm caramel and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon bacon.
Serve passing remaining caramel sauce.

½ cup of high quality prepared caramel sauce may be substituted for this homemade sauce