Salty Sweet Ness Recipes

SALTY-SWEET PEANUT BUTTER SANDIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add the peanut butter and eggs, and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix just until well combined, with no white flour showing.
• Using a small cookie scoop (about 2 teaspoons capacity), scoop dough onto prepared pans. The tops will be rounded but craggy. The cookies will not spread much or change shape when they bake, so they can be placed quite close together, but leave room for air circulation so they can brown.
• In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 tablespoon salt. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with sugar-salt mixture, getting it into the crags and crannies. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are set and golden-brown. Carefully lift or slide off baking sheets and cool on racks. Store in layers separated by parchment paper, in airtight containers.

SWEET AND SALTY FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface. Top with spoonfuls of the peanut butter. Using a skewer or butter knife, swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle over the crushed chips and pretzels. Let the fudge cool for 30 minutes on the counter, then lightly cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Lift the foil out of the pan and peel it from the fudge. Cut into small squares to serve.

SWEET AND SALTY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, 1 1/4 cups hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about 1/4 cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

SWEET AND SALTY SNACK MIX

Steps:

• Place cereal, pecans, almonds, cashews, coconut, and raisins in a large brown paper bag or large microwave-safe bowl and stir or shake to mix.
• Melt 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour over the cereal mixture and stir to coat.
• Microwave on high in three 90-second intervals, stirring between intervals, 4 1/2 minutes total. Spread out to cool before breaking apart.

SALTY SWEET-NESS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Lightly spray with non-stick spray.
• Line the saltine crackers, salty side up in the baking sheet.
• In a saucepan, boil butter and sugar for 3 minutes, stirring off and on. Remove from heat stir in extract. Pour the sugar mixture over the saltine crackers, bake for 7 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, now is when you top with the chocolate bars, spread them evenly. They will begin to melt.
• Place in the refrigerator up to 10 minutes. Cut them into "saltine size" pieces (makes it a whole lot easier to eat, and cut out).
• Transfer pieces to waxed paper, allow to cool completely covered in the refrigerator. Stay fresh up to 3 days in refrigerator.