Sweet Smell of Bacon

Now that I’m coming out of my sugar coma, I can tell you all about our delightful, delicious fundraiser, Sweet Sunday! Royal Bacon Society sponsored this event to benefit Genesis West, our favorite cutting edge, contemporary theater company here in Santa Barbara. And, because we missed our annual Bacon Day celebration, we made some bacon treats to boot.

I started with Bacon Rice Krispies Treats, as there was a “cereal bar” section for the event. This year we made all our treats with Oscar Mayer Hearty Thick Cut bacon which, for the most part, cooked nicely…although there were a few not-so-thick slices in each pack. I had to eat those. You know, for consistency sake. And this is what 3 pounds of thick-cut bacon looks like. Not as impressive as one would think.

I chopped up the bacon and pre-mixed it with the cereal to ensure that it was evenly spread throughout the treats.

And voila! A sticky panful of marshmallowey, bacon-enhanced goodness. My husband gave it the thumbs up and I was off to my next project.

I’ve been dreaming about my grandmother’s caramels for years. They’re soft and chewy and taste better than any store-bought caramel I’ve ever had. And for some reason, I’ve left them in the archives of my childhood memories, until now. I don’t know why I’ve not tried making them before, but now that I’ve done it I plan to make them a renewed part of my holiday traditions.

Sugar, Karo syrup, butter, condensed milk and vanilla. So simple, and with the addition of a little bacon “sea salt,” you’ve got a new twist on an old favorite. I got the idea because I love all the salted caramels and chocolates you can find in gourmet candy stores. I ground the bacon in my cuisinart to a fine consistency and, once the caramels had set for about 10 minutes, I sprinkled it on top.

Naseem made the classic chocolate-dipped bacon, and I have to tell you it was the hit of the event. There were more sweets than you could shake a Pixy Stix at, and her bacon was the only one to get completely demolished. Not a single piece left. Apparently you really can’t go wrong with chocolate. Or bacon.

The event was a ton of fun and people made amazing, inventive treats. Dana’s homemade Whoopie Pies completely knocked my socks off. And Holly’s donut trees created even more whimsy at what was already a carnival of sugary delights. I could go on and on; you really had to be there to appreciate the full effect of this mountain of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, candies and creativity. Although by the end, we were contemplating a Salad Bar fundraiser next year…Veggie Vednesday, anyone?