Bacon and salted caramel slice for the Sydney Food Bloggers' Mad Hatter Spring Picnic

Food bloggers. We like to eat.

A swarm of about 40 Sydney food bloggers converged on Centennial Park over the weekend, a Mat Hatter spring picnic organised by Billy (pictured above) and Karen.


Broccoli and cheese muffins by Minh of Eat, Show and Tell

We feasted on a bounty of good food of course, although the prominence of sweet tooths in the crowd meant that desserts outweighed savouries on a ratio of about 3:1.

Everything was spread out across four picnic rugs, and we mingled and munched for several hours on a spectacular array of dishes.


Thai fishcakes by Anna of No Red Meat


Mini burgers by Fat Belly Club


Lamb and pine nut pies by Gianna and Demos of The Empty Fridge


Blue sangria, also by Gianna and Demos


Cookie Monster cupcakes version 1 by Sook of Nommy Nom Nom


Cookie Monster cupcakes version 2 by Jacq of Penguin Says Feed Me


Cookie Monster cupcakes version 3 by Gemma of The Cheap Glut
[Correction] Eliza of Boomerang Banquet


Sticky rice with kaya by Rosalind of Rasa Rosa


Shortbread tartlets by Fat Belly Club


Blueberry cheesecake by Leila of Tablenosh


Cupcakes with hats by Mrs Shanks of Yaya's Yum Yums


Sydney food bloggers picnic cake by Anna of Diary of a Ladybird

Anna's cake was incredibly detailed, a miniature picnic scene that included watermelon, sandwiches, a hamburger, grapes, macarons and chocolate cake as well as common food blogger equipment, a lap top and an SLR camera.




The cake cutting money shot

The cake itself was chocolate with a salted caramel filling. Stunning inside and out!


Bacon and salted caramel slice

As for me, I made a bacon and salted caramel slice - scroll down for the recipe!


Tammi of Insatiable Munchies with her Lady Gaga hat

Everyone was instructed to wear a hat and there was no shortage of creativity here either.


Demos of The Empty Fridge


Phuoc of Phuoc'n Delicious with her edible hat



The Ninja


Bacon and salted caramel slice

So I have a thing for bacon in desserts, because why restrict this porcine delight to savouries when it tastes so good?

3 rashers bacon
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
125g butter, melted

caramel
2 x 400g tins sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup golden syrup
125g butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons salt

chocolate
200g dark chocolate
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 - 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
crystal salt flakes to garnish

Bake single layer of bacon sprinkled with sugar at 180C for 20 minutes or until crisp, turning once during cooking. Allow to cool.

Combine flour, cinnamon, coconut, sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Press into a lined 20cm x 30cm tin and bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Make the caramel by placing the condensed milk, golden syrup and butter into a heavy saucepan. Heat on low for about 7 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon until a caramel forms. Add salt to taste, until the caramel reaches the level of saltiness you prefer.

Pour a thin layer of caramel over the cooked base, and then sprinkle on the cooked bacon, diced into small pieces. Pour the rest of the caramel on top of the bacon, and bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until the caramel looks set on the surface. Place in the fridge to cool (about 2 hours).

Combine the chocolate and vegetable in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and glossy. Remove from heat and add the cayenne pepper to taste. Allow the chocolate to cool to a minute or two and then spread on top of the cool caramel. Let the chocolate sit for about 5 minutes before sprinkling on crystal salt flakes to decorate.

Chill in fridge and then slice into squares.

~~~
FREEBIE FRIDAY WINNERS

Congratulations to zhends who has won a $100 dining voucher to Signorelli Gastronomia and to Phuoc'n Delicious who will be attending Tokyo Food Trends - Molecular Cooking & More at Chef's Armoury.

Don't forget to enter the Freebie Friday competitions still open:

> Win Reinventing Food, Ferran Adrià: The Man Who Changed The Way We Eat

(entries close Sunday 24 October 2010)

> Win The Foodies' Guide to Sydney 2011

(entries close Monday 25 October 2010)

> Win the India Cookbook valued at $70

(entries close Sunday 31 October 2010)