MINI BACON GUACAMOLE CUPS

I'm going away next weekend with some of my best friends for a girl's weekend to a self-catering lodge near the Moremi Game Reserve. We needed to plan the weekend so we decided to have a little get together over snacks and drinks (any excuse for a glass of wine!). We each had to bring a plate of snacks and I usually do crackers and cheese, but now that crackers are out I had to be a little more inventive.

I went onto Pinterest, obviously, and found this lovely guacamole cup recipe from Carolyn, a diabetic with the blog All Day I Dream About Food. She wrote a post for 365 Days of Bacon. I didn't have a mini muffin pan so I tried these out using the inside of a regular muffin pan first. They still worked out but were a little large and more of a lunch than snack size (also a great idea though). I borrowed a friend's mini pan and started again. They came out perfectly, a nice crispy cup, and a smooth, creamy guacamole inside. I simplified the guacamole as I'm not a fan of bits in avo , but feel free to add minced onion, jalapeño and garlic . Don't forget to remove the toothpick before serving!

MINI BACON GUACAMOLE CUPS

1 packet of short streaky bacon - 16 slices

1 ripe avocado

juice of half a lime

salt and cracked black pepper


feta

Preheat the oven to 200°

Turn a mini muffin pan upside down and spray it with an olive oil cooking spray (don't use a regular spray 'n cook as those are seed oils which aren't great for your body, rather use butter instead)

Cut 4 slices of bacon into 3 equal pieces, and place a piece on the base of each over-turned cup

Take a slice of bacon and wrap it around the sides of the cup. Use a toothpick to secure it in place.

Place a larger baking tray on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drippings.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until brown and a little crisp. Check them half way through cooking to check that they are not stuck to the pan, and if they are use a knife to loosen them from the pan. They shrink when you bake them so keep an eye on them those last 15 minutes.  

Let them cool for a bit and the remove them from the pan and drain them on paper towel

Meanwhile, mash up the avo, and stir in the lime juice, salt and pepper

When the cups are cool, divide the guacamole between them, then crumble the feta over the top of each.