Salty Sweets (5 page)

1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.
   
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and sea salt. Stir 2 teaspoons of the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste.
   
3. Transfer the cocoa paste to the saucepan with the remaining milk and let simmer for 2 minutes over very low heat, making sure it doesn't boil. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
   
4. Pour into a mug and sprinkle with a few flakes of
   fleur de sel.
   Serve immediately.
   

I can't be left alone with good cornbread—I might devour it all. To me it feels like a decadent treat, with a texture similar to cake but a little less sweet and a little more buttery. To add to the richness of it all, serve this cornbread with soft honey butter flecked with coarse salt. Use great-quality local honey and organic butter—you will taste the difference.

 

MAKES ABOUT
16
PIECES

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 9-inch square baking dish.
   
2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine well. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
   
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
   
4. Transfer the batter to the buttered baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is light golden and springs back gently when you press it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into approximately 2-inch squares and serve with Honey Butter.
   

MAKES ABOUT
⅔
CUP

 

1. Combine the butter, honey, and grinder sea salt in a small bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Press the honey butter into a ramekin, smooth the top, and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt. Serve at room temperature.
   

Granola is one of my favorite things to make. Once you know a basic recipe, you can vary it in countless ways. Use different kinds of dried fruits, add different nuts, and play around with the ratio of sweeteners. This is a delicious version of my go-to recipe, which has no oil and just 3 tablespoons of butter. The butter, with the addition of sea salt, gives it a rich and satisfying flavor. Cocoa nibs are the essence of deep, intense chocolateness—they are roasted cacao beans separated from their husks, and they're great with dried cherries. I love this take on the chocolate-cherry combo.

 

MAKES ABOUT
7
CUPS

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Combine the honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, being careful not to let the mixture boil over, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
   
3. Mix the oats, coconut, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the hot honey mixture over the oat mixture, stir to coat thoroughly, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
   
4. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the cherries and cocoa nibs and bake for another 15 to 17 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool completely. The granola will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
   

[>]
Chocolate Chip Cookies

[>]
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

[>]
Nantucket Cookies

[>]
Peanut Butter Cookies

[>]
Lemon Sugar Cookies with Zesty Lime Salt

[>]
Lavender
Fleur de Sel
Shortbread

[>]
Snickerdoodles

[>]
Butterscotch Brownies

[>]
Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze

[>]
Raspberry Squares

[>]
Pecan squares

[>]
White Chocolate-Apricot Squares

[>]
Citrus Bars

I've made a lot of chocolate chip cookies.
A lot.
And I thought I had tweaked and refined my basic recipe to mouthwatering perfection. Then I tried sprinkling the cookies with grinder sea salt, and I realized that I'd been missing out. You don't need much salt to put your cookies over the edge, but if you make them like this your friends will start begging you to make them all the time. When I make cookies I like to use a small ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop the dough onto the baking sheets. It minimizes mess and ensures your cookies will be of uniform size, making for better baking results.

 

MAKES
30
TO
40
COOKIES

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
   
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
   
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, mixing it in a little at a time, until the flour is well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
   
5. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until set and just golden.
   
6. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with a light dusting of grinder sea salt. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 1 minute, then remove them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
   

I didn't think I could like any kind of cookie better than chocolate chip. Then I stumbled upon samples of thick, rustic-looking chocolate-oatmeal cookies dusted with sea salt at a gourmet shop in Boston called South End Formaggio. The cookies are called Salty Oats and are made by a Cape Cod bakery called Kayak Cookies. One bite and I was hooked—totally, completely addicted. This is my interpretation of those cookies. Whenever I make them, they are gone in a flash.

 

MAKES
30
TO
40
COOKIES

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. Thoroughly combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a medium-size bowl.
   
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla until the mixture is creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating or stirring thoroughly after each egg.
   
4. Stir in the flour mixture in 4 to 5 increments, combining well after each addition. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.
   
5. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets. Sprinkle each ball very lightly with grinder sea salt.
   
6. Bake for about 11 minutes, until the tops have just started to crack. While the cookies are still on the sheet, sprinkle them again very lightly with grinder sea salt. Let them cool on the baking sheets for about 1 minute, then remove them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
   

As far as I know, this isn't the official cookie of Nantucket, but maybe it should be. It features cranberries (a crop that has been grown on Nantucket since 1857), white chocolate (to contrast with the tartness of the cranberries), and a sprinkling of sea salt (Nantucket is an island 30 miles off the coast ... salty sea breezes blow every day ... you get it). Since Nantucket is one of my favorite places on the planet, I hereby dedicate this cookie to it.