Salt is the unusual ingredient that’s probably missing from your desserts. It’s no secret that a pinch of salt can bring out the rich depths of ingredients like coffee, caramel and chocolate. However, there’s more to it than that. Salt can unlock umami-rich notes in a dessert and give it an amazing, whole-rounded profile.
In certain desserts, salt can be used to add nuance, especially in cakes or confections that have one flavour base. Salt tends to add a sense of complexity in certain flavour palates, and can highlight certain ingredients to make them stand out. If you’ve never tried using salt in any of your homemade sweet treats, let’s see how you can go about it.
Salted Caramel Brownies
Salted caramel brownies combine the rich sweetness of caramel with the dense, fudgy texture of brownies. The addition of salt to both the caramel sauce and the brownie batter helps balance the sweetness, preventing the dessert from becoming overly cloying. The salt enhances the caramel's depth of flavour, highlighting its complexity and bringing forth the contrast to the rich chocolatey goodness of the brownie.
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are a beloved classic, but adding a sprinkle of salt on top of the cookies before baking takes them to a whole new level. The salt enhances the flavour of the chocolate, making it taste richer and more pronounced. It also helps balance the sweetness of the cookie dough, creating a more complex and satisfying flavour profile. The salt provides a subtle crunch and bursts of flavour with each bite, making these cookies irresistible.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Salted caramel cheesecake is a decadent dessert that combines creamy cheesecake with a luscious layer of salted caramel sauce. The salt in the caramel sauce helps cut through the richness of the cheesecake, preventing it from becoming overly heavy. It also enhances the caramel's flavour, adding depth and complexity to the dessert. The contrast between the sweet caramel, tangy cheesecake, and salty finish creates a really good balance.
Salted Dark Chocolate Tart
Dark chocolate tart with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top is a sophisticated dessert that appeals to chocolate lovers. The salt enhances the intense flavour of the dark chocolate, making it taste even richer and more complex. It also helps balance the sweetness of the tart crust and filling, creating a more well-rounded flavour profile.
Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies with a hint of salt are a classic treat that combines sweet and salty flavours in perfect harmony. The salt enhances the nutty flavour of the peanut butter, making it taste more robust and satisfying. It also helps balance the sweetness of the cookie dough, preventing it from being overwhelming. The contrast between the sweet cookie and the salty peanut butter is the USP of this number.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie
If you love a traditional apple pie, try adding a layer of rich caramel sauce infused with a touch of salt to the traditional apple filling. The salt enhances the sweetness of the caramel and the tartness of the apples, creating a perfectly balanced flavour profile. It also adds depth and complexity to the dessert, making it more interesting and satisfying. The combination of sweet apples, buttery crust, and salty caramel is truly irresistible!