Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt [Hardcover]

Christie Matheson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2009

Do opposites really attract? In the case of salty and sweet, you bet they do! Like peanut butter and jelly itself a classic salty-sweet duo these tastes were made for each other. Salt helps balance and heighten sweets, transforming ordinary cookies, cakes, and candies into truly special confections. It brings out the complexities of chocolate, highlights the subtleties of fruit, makes nuts really pop, and turns caramel and butterscotch into pure ambrosia. The salty-sweet combination has swept the nation, with chefs, candy makers, and retailers all offering tantalizing sweets complemented with salt. Salty Sweets is the first cookbook to bring the phenomenon home. Christie Matheson offers 75 delectable ways to enjoy this tasty twosome, proving along the way that salty sweets are not the sole province of fancy chefs and trendy chocolatiers. Seven recipe chapters cover every sort of treat, from little bites to cookies, bars, cakes, puddings, fruit desserts, and even ice creams. Readers can make their own version of those salted caramels found in upscale boutiques, along with such sophisticated fare as Maple Crème Brûlée, Lavender Fleur de Sel Shortbread, Fig and Ricotta Pizza, and Nantucket Sea Salt Ice Cream. Or how about the homey goodness of Old-Fashioned Kettle Corn and Decadent Hot Cocoa? And who could resist Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Butterscotch Brownies, Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting, or Caramel-Fudge Sauce? Tempting color photos will send cooks straight to the kitchen to try these treats for themselves. An introductory chapter outlines the basics equipment, ingredients, and techniques of successful sweet making. The author discusses all kinds of salts from fleur de sel to Maldon to Hawaiian pink to smoked and more, each with its own distinctive flavor and texture; Matheson encourages readers to sample the wealth of exotic and rare salts available today. Celebrate the happy marriage of sweet and salt with these irresistible creations. It's a match made in dessert heaven!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Salty Sweets made me want to run into the kitchen and try some of these delicious-sounding treats. With Matheson's enthusiasm and careful guidance, anyone can make her amazing desserts, which range from quick and simple sweets to more sophisticated creations. --Joanne Chang, pastry chef/owner, Flour Bakery + Café

Christie Matheson has done us all a great favor by demonstrating how salt brings out the best in all kinds of sweets. Her recipes will not only excite your palate but make you want to explore the world of salt as a superb flavor enhancer for desserts. --Carole Bloom, author of Bite-Size Desserts, The Essential Baker, and Truffles, Candies, & Confections

Salty Sweets is full of mouthwatering recipes that highlight the delicious alchemy between sweet and savory flavors. One taste of Matheson's homemade caramels with fleur de sel, truly addictive Sweet and Salty Pecans, or Nantucket Sea Salt Ice Cream, and you'll be hooked. --Jill O'Connor, author of Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

From the Back Cover

PRAISE for SALTY SWEETS

 

“Matheson adds an unforgettable new dimension to dessert. Each recipe offers a different and delicious combination of surprising flavors and textures. This book should be a staple in every kitchen.”—Elissa Strauss, proprietor of Confetti Cakes and co-author of The Confetti Cakes Cookbook and Confetti Cakes for Kids

 

“This book celebrates one of my secret palate pleasures: the combination of salt and sweet. I can’t wait to get in the kitchen with these recipes and start cooking!”—Gale Gand, executive pastry chef/partner of Tru restaurant, cookbook author, and host of Food Network’s "Sweet Dreams"

 

“Salty Sweets makes me want to run into the kitchen and try some of these delicious-sounding treats. With Matheson’s enthusiasm and careful guidance, anyone can make her amazing desserts, which range from quick and simple sweets to more sophisticated creations.”—Joanne Chang, pastry chef/owner, Flour Bakery + Café

 

“Christie Matheson has done us all a great favor by demonstrating how salt brings out the best in all kinds of sweets. Her recipes will not only excite your palate but make you wan to explore the world of salt as a superb flavor enhancer for desserts.”  —Carole Bloom, author of Bite-Size Desserts, The Essential Baker, and Truffles, Candies, & Confections

 

“Salty Sweets is full of mouthwatering recipes that highlight the delicious alchemy between sweet and savory flavors. One taste of Matheson’s homemade caramels with fleur-du-sel, truly addictive Sweet and Salty Pecans, or Nantucket Sea Salt Ice Cream, and you’ll be hooked.” —Jill O’Connor, author of Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press (August 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558324151
• ISBN-13: 978-1558324152
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rehash of Basic Recipes with a Dash of Salt, September 23, 2009

By 

M. Hill (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Oh, how I wanted to love this cookbook. I awaited its arrival and was anxious to dive in and get baking. I would have happily gushed about the results and the wonderful treats in store for anyone lucky enough to have this book. Instead what I found, like another reviewer, is a book produced to capitalize on the current salty/sweet trend and provide little of value or substance to the reader. The book only contains 70 recipes and except for the addition of a variety of coarse salts, the vast majority are basic, common recipes found in any general cookbook. I compared the basic recipes and these should bake up just fine, but that isn't enough to give the book a higher rating -- that is the bare minimum -- it is what is expected. We deserve more.

There is little inspiration included in this book. Basic chocolate chip cookies with an extra bit of coarse salt sound fine, and I'm sure I'll try it the next time I make a batch, but I've already been experimenting with that -- it isn't rocket science. I took a basic banana walnut muffin recipe and added bittersweet chocolate chunks and topped each with a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt. They were delicious. Should I write a cookbook? There rests the problem in looking at a grouping of largely basic recipes and finding the main change is a pinch of salt. It just isn't enough -- the recipes need to be fresh new creations, not old standbys.

Do we need another recipe for Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Fudge or Hot Cocoa? Well, actually we do if there is a fabulous twist that brings new life to an old favorite, but that takes more than a pinch of salt, and you won't find that in this book. Naming a few more of the inspirational recipes -- S'Mores, yes, they are included, along with Kettle Corn and Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels. 70 recipes, and the only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because the photographs were nice, although it would have been generous of the publisher to include a photo for each of the 70 recipes, but they didn't.

If considering this as a gift for an experienced baker or cook, skip it because it has little substance and they will be disappointed. It would probably be okay for a novice baker not in possession of a core selection of good solid cookbooks -- all of which would contain the majority of these basic recipes, but for the price of this book a much more thorough cookbook would be a better investment. This book is simply not a keeper and wasn't published to be an enduring classic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, easy recipes, October 5, 2009

By 

TropicalMinnesota - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This cookbook is suitable for a novice cook as well as those with more experience. None of the recipes rely on complicated procedures and the author explains every step of the recipes. It covers many types of salted sweets, from cocoa to candy to a pound cake. The recipes I have tried have been very good. They are the kind people actually make, not the outlandish ones you sometime see that call for ingredients you have never heard of before. Most are similar to those in other cookbooks but with more salt, which is often sprinkled on top. The author describes the different types of salt available, but curiously does not mention kosher salt. The kinds that the recipes call for (usually sea salt or fleur de sel) can be found at decent supermarkets.

It is a very chatty cookbook, with copious annotations about the author's life and her favorites, as well of those of her friends and family. This may not be to everyone's taste.

This is the perfect cookbook to reach for when making desserts for people who prefer salty snacks. It would also make a nice gift for someone whose cooking skills are not well developed but who wants to make something that seems to be a step above basic Betty Crocker recipes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must have if you love salty and sweet!, September 14, 2010

By 

k8inut - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt (Hardcover)

I was so excited to get this book! I absolutely love salty/sweet foods, and I wasn't disappointed by this cookbook. I was a little apprehensive given some of the other reviews, but I'm so glad I bought it.

There are recipes for all sorts of desserts: candy (salted caramels), dessert sauces (milk chocolate sauce), cakes (carrot cake), cookies (nantucket cookies), and other desserts (ice creams, fruit desserts).

The only recipe that I was a little disappointed with was the chocolate chip cookie recipe. If you're looking for a great salty/sweet chocolate chip cookie recipe, I would suggest the NY Times chocolate chip cookie recipe instead.