Salty Sweets (3 page)

I have gone through phases when I am seriously addicted to salted caramels and need to get a daily fix. The beauty is that it doesn't take much to ease the craving—these are perfect little bites of goodness that satisfy. Not many recipes in this book call for a candy thermometer, but I do recommend using one here. If you don't get the caramel hot enough, or if you cook it too long, it won't turn out right. (I know—I've messed up plenty of batches. But don't worry; if it doesn't set for you and stays soft, it makes a yummy sauce for ice cream.) With a thermometer, though, you take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the process.

 

MAKES
40
TO
50
PIECES

 

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, then lightly butter the parchment.
   
2. Combine the cream, butter, vanilla, and sea salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for about 4 minutes, then remove it from the heat and set aside.
   
3. In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. If there are any sugar crystals on the side of the pan, brush them down with a damp pastry brush. Once the sugar is dissolved, boil without stirring—swirling the pan occasionally to keep it cooking evenly—until it's a light amber color and the candy thermometer registers 340°F, about 7 minutes.
   
4. Turn the heat down to medium-low, carefully stir in the cream mixture (it will foam up a lot), and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is 246°F on the candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. The temperature may hover in the 200° to 220°F range for a while, and then it will start to increase pretty quickly, so watch it carefully.
   
5. Stir in the
   fleur de sel,
   then pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish (don't scrape the saucepan or you might get some burned bits that are stuck to the bottom); let cool for at least 3 hours. Cut the caramel into approximately 1-inch squares and wrap each square in waxed paper or aluminum foil. The caramels will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
   

When I see a chocolate truffle garnished with a grain of salt, I have to try it. Adding a touch of salt to good chocolate in a simple recipe makes a world of difference. It brings out the complex flavors of the chocolate and makes the whole experience more satisfying. Once you've tried it, regular chocolate truffles will seem bland by comparison. This is a very simple truffle recipe with a bit of fine sea salt added to the truffle mixture and a large crystal of coarse salt on top—to look pretty and for a tiny extra kick of saltiness.

 

MAKES ABOUT
30
TRUFFLES

 

1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour it immediately over the chocolate. Let stand for 4 to 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
   
2. When the chocolate is melted, add the fine sea salt and whisk gently until smooth. Add the vanilla and whisk gently to incorporate completely. Cover loosely and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
   
3. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and roll into a ¾-inch round truffle. Roll the truffle in cocoa powder and gently press 1 crystal of coarse salt into the top of the truffle to secure it. Place on a plate or in a container, and continue until all the truffle mixture has been used.
   
4. Return the truffles to the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 20 minutes. The truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
   

A few of my favorite recipes in this book are adaptations of recipes that come from my mom (I call her Mom), and from her mom (I called her Nana Banana). This one comes from Nana's mom, my great-grandmother, whom we always called Nana Rodda. As Mom says, it's a classic: smooth, creamy, and satisfying. A little bite goes a long way.

 

MAKES
40
TO
50
PIECES

 

1. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for about 3 minutes, until a candy thermometer registers 235°F.
   
2. Add the peanut butter, butter, and salt and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour into an 8-inch square ungreased pan, and let cool completely before cutting into about 1-inch squares for serving. The fudge will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
   

Every year, I meet up with four of my best friends from way back when (Katie, Hillary, Beth, and Amie) for a girls' weekend. Last year we went to Charleston, South Carolina, and we happened to be there when the Charleston Food + Wine Festival was going on. (Charleston is a phenomenal food city.) Of course I dragged them to the festival with me, not that they minded too much. It was there that I became obsessed with authentic Southern pralines. I sampled at least a dozen varieties—I was not hungry for dinner that night—and then played with recipes at home. This simple version, spiked with a little bourbon, is my favorite. Making pralines becomes incredibly easy when you skip the step of trying to form them into perfect 2½-inch rounds (as they do in the South) but instead spread the whole mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and break it up into bites once it's cool.

 

MAKES
25
TO
30
GOOD-SIZE PIECES

 

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, butter, salt, molasses, and bourbon and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. After it starts to boil, boil for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
3. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool just until the mixture completely stops bubbling. Add the pecan halves and stir them in well, then quickly pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out as much as you can. (It will get thick quickly while you're doing this—so this is the time to remember that it doesn't have to be perfect!)
   
4. Let cool completely, then break the praline into bite-size pieces (you get to decide what "bite-size" means ... and snack on the little shards that don't measure up). The pralines will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
   

This recipe was loosely inspired by See's peanut brittle, an addictive treat that my friends Sean and Sophie introduced me to late one night after a dinner party. I knew right away it was the salty-sweet combination that made it so ridiculously good. wanted something like it in this book, so I thought about other nuts that might work. My two favorite nuts are almonds and cashews. My husband, Will, loves almonds, too, and I love any excuse to use almond extract. So almonds won, and I'm glad they did. I won't say this is better than See's (that would be tough), but it's different and unique and at least equally good. And it's sooooo easy. You just have to keep an eye on it while it's cooking, which doesn't take too long. And then you have to resist the urge to eat it while it's still piping hot.

 

MAKES ABOUT
3
CUPS

 

1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
   
2. Combine the sugar, water, almond extract, and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine well, then let the mixture come to a boil without stirring it. Let it cook until the sugar starts to caramelize and turn a very light golden brown color, about 10 minutes. (Watch and smell it carefully starting around the 7-minute mark—don't let it burn because the pan will be hard to clean and the brittle will have an unappealing taste and texture.)
   
3. Stir in the almonds, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the baking soda, being sure to distribute them evenly (the mixture will foam up at this point).
   
4. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and, working quickly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, spread it out so you have a uniform thickness, aiming for less than ¼ inch thick (and as thin as you can get it).
   
5. Let it cool at room temperature for a few minutes, then put the pan in the refrigerator to cool completely. Break up the brittle into pieces (and try not to scarf the whole recipe down yourself). It will keep in an airtight container for up to 10 days.