Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with shortening.

Stir together the flour, corn meal, Parmesan cheese, baking  powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.

Cook bacon until crisp, them crumble and add to mixing bowl.

Caramelize onions in the bacon drippings and add to mixing bowl; stir to thoroughly coat the bacon and onion with flour.

Whisk the eggs in a small mixing bowl  with the buttermilk, and cooled butter.

Add wet mixture to the flour and stir to blend.

Divide batter in the muffin tin; bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed without wet batter.

Cool muffins in the  pan for ten minutes then turn out of the pan to cool completely.