Salty Sweets (8 page)

I'm always happy to see lemon bars at a bridal or baby shower or an afternoon tea—which is where they seem to show up most often. They are especially delicious when the lemon filling is super-citrusy, so that there's a sharp and delicious contrast between that and the simple shortbread crust. This is a twist on lemon bars that features a mix of fresh orange and lemon juices and zests. They are just a tad less tart than traditional lemon bars, making them the perfect foil for the hint of salt sprinkled on top.

 

MAKES ABOUT
24
BARS

 

CRUST

 

FILLING

 

TOPPING

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. To make the crust, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until creamy.
   
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then mix them into the butter-sugar mixture on low speed until a dough just begins to form.
   
4. Gather the dough into a ball and press it into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish, distributing it as evenly as possible and creating a slight rim (about ¼ inch) around the edges. Bake for 15 minutes, until it starts to look dry but not browned. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before filling.
   
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, and flour until thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for about 35 minutes, until the filling is set and no longer jiggly. Let cool completely.
   
6. Combine the confectioners' sugar and
   fleur de sel,
   mixing to distribute the
   fleur de sel
   throughout the sugar. Sift enough of the sugar-salt mixture over the cooled bars to cover them with a thin layer of white dust. Cut into squares and serve. The bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 day at room temperature or up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
   

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Very Vanilla Cake

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Dark Chocolate
Fleur de Sel
Cupcakes with Snappy Butterscotch Icing

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Mini Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

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Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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Almond-Orange Torte

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Kickass Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

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Cranberry Coffee Cake

[>]
Lemon Cake with Lemon-Brown Sugar Glaze

By "very vanilla," I do not mean boring. A dessert doesn't have to be fancy to be good. Sometimes in the interest of being more sophisticated, more creative, and more over-the-top, we forget about the delicious basics, like a freshly baked, fragrantly yummy vanilla cake. Loaded with vanilla flavor, it's lovely, inviting, and oh so good.

 

SERVES
8
TO
10

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, and butter the sides of the dish.
   
2. Combine the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
   
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and beat until combined, then add the milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
   
4. Brush the top of the warm cake with Vanilla Simple Syrup and sprinkle with Vanilla Sugar, if desired, and a hint of grinder sea salt. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
   

MAKES
1
CUP

 

Combine the sugar, vanilla, salt, and water in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

MAKES
½
CUP

 

Combine the sugar and vanilla bean and store in an airtight container for at least 2 days before using.

Oh, do I love cupcakes. They are absolutely the perfect treat. I might even be a little obsessed. I am constantly pitching food editors stories about cupcakes, just so I have an excuse to sample more. (I think they're on to me now.) I take my friend Carrie's three-year-old daughter, Caitlin, out for cupcakes—claiming it's because she loves them so much. (She does love them—after her first bite of a lemon cupcake on our last date, she looked up at me with a huge grin and exclaimed, "This is delicious!") While planning my wedding, the part I was most excited about (aside from marrying Will) was the cupcakes we decided to serve instead of a big wedding cake. There were three kinds, including a chocolate cupcake—sprinkled with
fleur de sel,
of course.

 

MAKES
12
TO
14
CUPCAKES

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
   
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and fine sea salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
   
3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, oil, and water over medium-low heat, stirring until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
   
4. Whisk the butter mixture into the dry ingredients on low speed until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the egg, then whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla.
   
5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and sprinkle a tiny bit of
   fleur de sel
   over the top of each. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes are set and spring back when you touch them and a cake tester comes out clean.
   
6. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Ice with Snappy Butterscotch Icing. The cupcakes will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
   

MAKES ABOUT
1½
CUPS (ENOUGH TO ICE
12
REGULAR-SIZE CUPCAKES
)

 

1. Combine the sugar, cream, butter, water, and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.
   
2. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 8 minutes without stirring, until the icing has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool completely so the icing will thicken enough to spread. Refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes to speed the thickening process, if you like. The icing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.