Salty 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 Truffles, Candies, & Confections

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 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 makes, 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. ‘Salty sweets don’t have to be complicated to taste good,” she writes, and the scrumptious but simple recipes bear her out. Seven recipe chapters cover every sort of treat, from little bites to cookies, bars, cakes, puddings, fruit desserts, and even ice creams.

“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, James Beard Award–winning pastry chef

“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