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" This fall has been full of all sorts of seasonal treats, mostly of the pumpkin-spiced variety (hello, PSL M&amp;amp;amp;Ms!), but with a few wildcards (what up, mulled cider sorbet?). Then, just as we thought we&amp;#039;d seen it all, Betty Crocker dropped the mic with a completely unexpected limited-edition treat: Maple Bacon Cookie Mix, as well as Maple Bacon Frosting. Bacon-topped sweets have been wildly popular\u2014or, at the very least, attention-grabbing\u2014since cupcakeries everywhere added them to their menus circa 2008, but this version spares you the hassle of actually frying bacon. Or putting on pants and heading to your trendiest boutique bakery, since you can also order the mix and frosting\u00A0on Amazon. Naturally, we had to try them, so we went whole hog and followed the drop cookie recipe on the back of the bag, then topped them with a hearty slathering of Maple Bacon Frosting. The dough reminded us of a classic sugar cookie dough, with a Play Doh-like consistency and sweet, if slightly maple-y, scent. There was one key difference, though: This dough is studded with bacon-flavored bits.  Yes, that&amp;#039;s the proper terminology, according to the ingredients listing. They&amp;#039;re made with\u00A0corn syrup, enriched flour, corn cereal, and a few other things\u2014none of which are bacon.\u00A0 In fact, there&amp;#039;s no bacon in either of the products (a fact the brand doesn&amp;#039;t try to hide\u2014&amp;quot;artificially flavored&amp;quot; appears in all caps underneath the flavor, in a larger font than the words &amp;quot;frosting&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;cookie mix&amp;quot;). Instead, both sweets are\u00A0loaded with\u00A0a bunch of things meant to convey the general flavor and texture, which it does, for the most part. The cookies taste like sugar cookies sweetened with maple syrup, and halfway through chewing, you notice a distinct smokiness. It&amp;#039;s not necessarily bacon, but it does remind you a lot of Liquid Smoke. The bacon-flavored bits give a slight crunch, but not so much that it interferes with the soft, chewy\u00A0texture of the cookie.  The frosting has a much stronger maple flavor than the cookies, and could be a perfect way to go fall-out on a pumpkin spice cupcake. It&amp;#039;s a little too thin to use as a whoopie pie filling, unless you added a little confectioner&amp;#039;s sugar to thicken it (as-is, it just oozes out the sides of the sandwich cookie, long before you can ever take a bite).\u00A0 There&amp;#039;s a bacon-flavored-bit topping you can sprinkle on the frosting as a finishing touch, but it&amp;#039;s ultimately unnecessary. If you want bacon, brave the risk of dealing with popping oil and\u00A0go for the real thing. The bottom line: Many people complained about the strange, smoky aftertaste the cookies had,\u00A0though\u00A0just about everyone raved about the icing. Bake your own cookies, top them with the Maple Bacon Frosting, and use real crumbled bacon over the the gritty topping packet. You&amp;#039;ll be happy you did. Follow Delish on Instagram. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/food/a44165/what-betty-crocker-maple-bacon-cookies-taste-like/>