Salty Sweets (6 page)

 

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 cranberries and white 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 like peanut butter cookies that are intensely peanut buttery. Bland versions are always disappointing. With this recipe, there's no getting away from the peanut butter—it's the star ingredient, and there's little else to distract from it. A mix of dark brown and granulated sugars caramelizes beautifully and becomes nice and chewy. The result of this almost flour-free recipe is closer to a macaroon than a cookie—airy and definitely not leaden, the way some peanut butter cookies can turn out. Chopped salted peanuts lend interesting texture, more peanut flavor, and a bit of extra saltiness that contrasts nicely with the caramel sweetness.

 

MAKES ABOUT
24
COOKIES

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
   
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in the beaten egg until well incorporated, and then stir in the peanuts.
   
4. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the back of a fork, making a grid pattern (once the cookies are baked, the pattern won't be quite as obvious as it is on traditional peanut butter cookies, but the traditionalist in me enjoys the effect, and flattening the dough a little before baking helps them to be more consistent in texture and doneness throughout).
   
5. Bake for about 12 minutes, until set and just slightly browned. (Overbaking these will lead to very crispy edges, which aren't bad, but I like them when they're a little softer.) Let cool on the baking sheets for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   

I love the idea of a margarita. Thanks to an unfortunate experience with tequila one night during college, however, I don't drink them. Believe me, I've tried, because the lemony, limey drink with the glass rimmed in salt always looks so good, especially in summer. Ah, well. Here's a cookie that features what I imagine to be the best elements of the cocktail I must avoid, yet still crave.

 

MAKES ABOUT
30
COOKIES

 

1. Combine the flour and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a medium-size bowl and mix well.
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute, then add ¾ cup of the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
   
3. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat for 2 more minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
   
4. Combine the lime zest, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon sea salt in a shallow dish or on a plate (for rolling).
   
5. Roll the dough into logs 1½ to 2 inches in diameter, then roll the logs in the lime zest mixture. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
   
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
7. Slice the chilled logs into ¼-inch-thick circles and place on baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until just lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
   

There's a little market near my house in San Francisco that stocks an eclectic assortment of gourmet crackers, olive oils, prepared foods, and baked goods. One day, in dire need of a treat, I wandered in there, wondering if I would find anything to make me feel better (it was one of those days). And there on the counter near the door was a glass cookie jar filled with lavender
fleur de sel
shortbread. I had a feeling that would work as a mood elevator, and I was right. The flavor combination is fantastic, and lavender is very soothing. Aaah. I came up with this recipe so I could make them for myself whenever I need to de-stress. Look for culinary lavender at gourmet stores, or purchase one of my favorite kinds, from Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa, California, online at
matanzascreek.com
.

 

MAKES ABOUT
20
PIECES

 

1. Sift the flour and fine sea salt together in a small bowl.
   
2. Combine the sugar and lavender in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for 15 to 20 seconds to combine. Add the butter and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it forms a soft dough.
   
3. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut it into 1½- to 2½-inch shapes (circles, squares, or hearts) using a cookie cutter or knife. Place the shapes on the baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes, until the dough is stiff.
   
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
6. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Sprinkle the cookies lightly with
   fleur de sel
   as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The shortbread keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
   

Snickerdoodles are definitely a cookie I associate with being a kid. My older sister, Jen, always loved them—which in my mind made them the coolest cookie around. (That might be a rare perception of a snickerdoodle.) I still think they're cool, and even cooler when there's a little sea salt added to the cinnamon sugar they are rolled in before baking.

 

MAKES
30
TO
40
COOKIES

 

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and fine sea salt.
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1½ cups of the sugar for 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, then mix in the vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well blended. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
4. In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar, the cinnamon, and the grinder sea salt. Roll the chilled dough into 1½-inch balls and roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar-salt mixture. Arrange them 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
   
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
   

When I was growing up, my mom always made chocolate brownies from a mix, but butterscotch brownies (blondiess, in the vernacular of some households) were made from scratch. So simple—a warm, oozing combination of butter and brown sugar mixed with dry ingredients and eggs and spiked with vanilla and nuts—and so delicious. Adding a little salt to the butterscotch heightens the flavor and makes these even more mouthwatering. They're often made with walnuts (and you could certainly substitute walnuts here), but I like them best with little bits of chopped pecans.