Spicy Deviled Eggs with Candied Bacon

The taste of deviled eggs immediately takes me to family Christmas parties, July 4th celebrations, and Easter get-togethers.  They have always been a staple in my family.  My mother was the designated deviled egg maker for our large family and would make dozens at a time.  She would let my brother, sister and I “stuff” the eggs, but always warned us not to eat the stuffing UNLESS there was stuffing leftover after all of the eggs were filled.  But most of the time, she would end up boiling extra eggs to account for the extra stuffing that we would eat.  I would like to say that I have outgrown that temptation, but I have not. 
 
Deviled eggs are creamy, yummy little packages of flavor.  They are extremely versatile and can be sweet or savory, and can be topped with just about anything.  I never say no to eggs, and now have many from my mother and friend’s backyard chickens.  So, in coming up with what to do with the eggs, the first thing that came to my mind was deviled eggs.  I was going to make deviled eggs topped with pickled shrimp, but a friend of mine suggested topping with candied bacon.  Though the shrimp topping is tasty, I was intrigued by the combination of crispy, smoky-sweet bacon topping the decadent eggs.  This recipe also introduces a tiny bit of heat by also dusting the bacon in cayenne and topping the eggs with slices of pickled jalapeno.  I also mixed sweet and dill relish for the stuffing, and added just a touch of cayenne.  In the end it is a wonderful cornucopia of flavors of sweet and sour, with just the right amount of heat!  Thanks so much to my friend for this suggestion; It is definitely a keeper!  I served the eggs with pimento cheese, toast, stone-ground mustard and sweet gherkins. Make and Enjoy!
 
Servings: 12 deviled eggs

Ingredients:
6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
4 slices thick-cut bacon
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cayenne powder and more to taste
¼ good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ tablespoon sweet relish
½ tablespoon dill relish
Salt and pepper to taste
12 slices pickled jalapeño, cut in half
Paprika if desired for garnish
 
For the bacon:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a cooling rack.
2. Mix brown sugar and 2 tablespoons cayenne in a shallow bowl and dredge bacon through mixture, covering both sides .
3. Arrange the bacon on the rack and cook until crisp, about 18 minutes. 
4. Allow to cool and cut each slice into thirds.

 
For the eggs:

1. Slice eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolk to a small bowl and place the emptied egg whites on a plate.
2. Mash the yolks with a fork, then add the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper 
3. Mix together until creamy, and add cayenne to taste.
4. Use a spoon to add a portion of the deviled egg mixture back into the hole of each egg white.
5. Place one piece of cut, candied bacon into each egg, place a half pickled jalapeño slice on both sides of the bacon, and dust with paprika or cayenne for garnish.
6. Try not to eat all of them before company arrives! :)