Maple Bacon Shake

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, ensuring the edges are completely covered. Place a baking rack on top of the foil and spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Place half of your bacon slices onto the prepared rack. Using a pastry brush, apply about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to one side of each slice. Twist the ends of each strip in opposite directions until the syrup-glazed side is tucked away, creating a tight coil. Secure each strip with toothpicks.

Bake the bacon in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush another 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over the slices. Continue baking until cooked through and crispy, approximately 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.

Cook the remaining bacon in a skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crispy, taking about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a saucepan and pour in about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of maple syrup to the saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the flavors have combined, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes, allowing the bacon flavor to infuse into the syrup.

Transfer the cooked bacon from the skillet to a cutting board and chop it into bits. Combine the bacon-infused maple syrup and milk in a blender; blend on low speed until combined. Add ice cream to the blender and blend on medium speed until mixed but still thick. Add most of the bacon bits and stir until they are incorporated into the milkshake.

Pour the milkshake into four glasses and top each with 1 tablespoon of whipped cream. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits over the whipped cream and garnish each with a bacon twist.