Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt Review

Posted by Juanita Avenue on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

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Product Description:
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 CrÃ¨me BrÃ>>lÃ©e, 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!