Salty Sweets (4 page)

S'mores are among my all-time favorite sweets. They taste best when the marshmallows are toasted outdoors over an open flame, of course, but that's not always an option. When you're in the mood for something resembling that great campfire s'mores taste, but that you can make in your kitchen, try these gooey bites. Use the best marshmallows you can find for this—look for handmade artisan marshmallows at a gourmet shop or a good grocery store.

 

MAKES
24
S'MORES

 

1. Preheat the broiler.
   
2. Arrange 24 of the graham cracker quarters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top each with a piece of chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate with
   fleur de sel
   and top with a marshmallow cube.
   
3. Broil just until the marshmallow is browned on top—this will happen quickly, in just 1 to 2 minutes, depending on your broiler.
   
4. Remove the s'mores from the oven and top them with the remaining 24 graham crackers. Press down gently, let cool for 1 minute, and serve immediately.
   

I love making chocolate bark around the holidays, sometimes with peppermint, sometimes with nuts. It's easy to do and it looks impressive—definitely gift-worthy. This is a year-round-appropriate version of bark, and it's delectable with a hint of salt.

 

MAKES
20
TO
30
PIECES

 

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. When it's melted, stir in the fine sea salt and distribute evenly. Use a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to spread the mixture about ⅛ inch thick on the parchment-lined sheet. Let cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
   
3. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. When it's melted, remove from the heat to let it cool slightly but not too much, 3 to 5 minutes, and quickly stir in the almond extract and ½ cup of the almonds.
   
4. Spread the white chocolate mixture over the cooled dark chocolate. Combine the grinder sea salt with the remaining 1 tablespoon almonds and sprinkle over the white chocolate before it hardens. Let cool in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or at room temperature for 2 hours. Break into pieces and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
   

Quick and easy to make, these sweet and salty nuts are great for snacking, serving with ice cream, mixing into cookie recipes, or even using on top of salads.

 

MAKES ABOUT
1
CUP

 

1. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and water in a small bowl; stir to dissolve.
   
2. Place the pecans in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and stir to coat. Continue stirring as the mixture heats up and starts to bubble; let it cook until the moisture is almost gone, 5 to 7 minutes. Keep an eye on it and don't let the water cook off completely.
   
3. Remove from the heat and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Let cool completely before using in recipes—or eat out of hand as soon as they're cool enough! The nuts will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
   

I love savory crostini. They're the perfect all-purpose appetizer: little toasty slices of baguette topped with just about anything you can think of. My dream meal is a bunch of different kinds of crostini, maybe a salad, and of course a salty-sweet treat. There's a restaurant in New York City called Fig & Olive Kitchen and Tasting Bar that has lots of crostini on the menu—and you can order an assortment of flavors all on one plate. With a glass of wine, it's perfect. Over a platter one night with friends, I found myself wishing we could have more crostini for dessert. Hey, if savory crostini are that good, why not a sweet version? This one is so good, and so simple. Just good bread, good chocolate, and a little sprinkling of coarse sea salt—just enough to highlight the fabulous flavor in the chocolate. Speaking of which, use excellent-quality chocolate here.

 

MAKES
18
CROSTINI

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place a square of chocolate on top of each baguette slice.
   
3. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until the chocolate is soft and melted but is still in its original shape.
   
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly sprinkle the chocolate with a very light dusting of sea salt. Serve immediately.
   

Popcorn with salt and sugar sounds simple, but it's addictive. This is one of the original salty sweets. I first tried it while watching a pro tennis match. Lindsay Davenport was playing Jennifer Capriati. I love watching tennis, and I was in the second row, but I was so distracted by the kettle corn that I don't even remember who won. The kettle corn was that good. This is fun to give guests at parties after dinner instead of a heavy dessert, especially if there's a big game or a movie to be watched.

 

MAKES ABOUT
10
CUPS

 

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place 4 or 5 popcorn kernels in the oil in the pan and cover with the lid. When those kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels.
   
2. Quickly shake the pan to distribute the kernels. When the oil sizzles, sprinkle the sugar and salt over the kernels. Cover the pan and shake the kernels for about 3 minutes, until most of them have popped and the popping slows. (Don't wait for every kernel to pop or you may scorch your popcorn.) Remove from the heat. Taste and season with a bit more salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
   

Chocolate-covered pretzels are one of the quintessential salty-sweet combinations. Make them a little less sweet and a little more sophisticated with great-quality dark chocolate.

 

MAKES ABOUT
2
CUPS

 

1. Line a large baking sheet (or two small ones) with parchment paper.
   
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the cream until completely incorporated and smooth.
   
3. Use tongs to dip the pretzels into the chocolate until well coated. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, then let the pretzels dry on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate sets. The pretzels will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
   

I love chocolate and I love coconut, so I wanted to come up with a recipe for a confection featuring both of those flavors. This simple, no-bake concoction was a surprise hit—it couldn't be much easier, and Will (my husband, who tasted just about everything in this book) says they are one of his all-time favorites. They are rich and intense, so keep the pieces small. I think they'd be great to serve after a lunch or dinner party. Because there are so few ingredients, it's important to use the best you can find: Think organic coconut, great salt, and super-high-quality organic chocolate.

 

MAKES ABOUT
30
BITE-SIZE PIECES

 

1. Line two 5 × 9-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, letting the ends overlap the edges of the pans.
   
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the coconut, salt, and condensed milk until thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture between the pans and spread it in an even layer with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
   
3. Spread the melted chocolate over the chilled coconut layer, dividing it evenly between the pans and distributing it uniformly over the coconut. Chill until just firm, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Remove the chilled chocolate-coconut layers from the pans, peel off the parchment paper, and firmly press the two coconut sides together, forming a chocolate-coconut sandwich. Cut into bite-size pieces (about 1-inch squares) and keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. The candies keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
   

Sometimes you need a cup of cocoa. And when you do, may I suggest making yourself a fabulous European-style hot cocoa—from scratch—instead of using a processed mix? Use excellent cocoa powder here, for sure. I like Green & Black's Organic. Using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in hot cocoa is a trick I learned from the amazing pastry chef Gale Gand. The flavor it gives is fantastic, and more interesting. This reminds me of the cocoa I get at a phenomenal café called Boulettes Larder in San Francisco. The tiny dash of salt and sprinkling of
fleur de sel
make this version even more intense than that.

 

MAKES
1
SERVING