Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Crabapple and Maple Syrup

I am convinced Brussels sprouts have magical powers.  You try them.  And maybe you hate them.  But you can't stop thinking about them.  And you cant resist buying them the next time you see them because they are so cute.  And then you make them again.  And your feelings have warmed up to them.  And this continues until you have fallen madly in love, and you don't really know why.  Most definitely a magic vegetable!

I might have picked up crabapples at the market purely because of how adorable they looked.  Ok, I definitely picked them up for that reason.  And then I thought, well if these are so cute and tiny, and Brussels sprouts are so cute and tiny - then maybe they would work well together! My reasoning skills leave much to be desired, obviously.  But regardless of how I managed to get these two together, I liked the how the sweet tang of crabapple paired with our miniature cabbage friends, the Brussels sprouts.  The maple syrup, bacon, and rosemary ended up making it a dish we can't get out of our minds.

Ingredients
4 cups halved Brussels sprouts
1 small red onion, chopped
8 thickly sliced crabapples
4 slices bacon, chopped

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprig rosemary, leaves chopped
kosher salt
white pepper

Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, red onion, crabapples, and bacon all together.  In a small bowl, whisk maple syrup, vinegar, olive oil, and rosemary.  Pour the maple syrup mixture over the Brussels sprouts and coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place on a baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking pan and roast for about 35 minutes, until the sprouts have cooked through and have developed some nice caramelization.